Legacy of the Rasengan I: Naruto
by Tellemicus Sundance
Summary: It started as nothing more than a goal, inspired by a dream. It was the only thing he had to keep him going. Now, years later, it has suddenly become something...more. It has become his way of life. Slight NaruHina.
1. What Started It All

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 1—What Started It All_

The annoying buzz of a sleeper's worst foe was ringing loudly in his ears. With a frustrated growl, the mop of blonde hair tired to crawl deeper inside of his stiff pillow. As his groggy mind unwillingly returned to the land of the living, he lashed out blindly at the noise.

Any relief he may have felt at striking the object was squashed when it fell from the bedside table and clattered loudly on the floor. Succumbing to anger, Naruto climbed out from his mattress to pummel the enemy of his sleep.

He couldn't wait to become Hokage. Then he'd have the village's respect. He could walk proudly down the streets. People would smile and wave. Everyone would be happy and get a good night's sleep. Maybe he could pass a law that outlawed evil clocks—

A glare at the aforementioned instrument made all thoughts vanish when what it was showing clicked in his befuddled brain. Six o'clock in the morning, and the academy started at six-thirty. That would mean...

"_I'm gonna be late!_" he screamed as he jumped and tried to do a million things at once.

He was trying to pull on a too-large orange vest while holding a cup of instant ramen in one hand. The other hand was attempting to slip on a sandal that was obviously too large for his small feet as he rushed out his door. Despite how much of a hurry that he was in, he did take the time to pause long enough to lock his door. Then he sprinted as fast as his short legs could carry him.

* * *

Dressed in a simple white kimono, a quiet, little girl stood outside the gate to Konohagakure's most prestigious clan. One would think that being the heir to the clan and a user of an advanced bloodline would have the girl carrying herself like some kind of royalty. But her face was down and her shoulders were slumped, suggesting a timid nature. 

She was waiting for a Chuunin to arrive and escort her to the Konoha Shinobi Academy. In a small bag in her hands was a bento and several writing utensils and accessories. The white-lavender eyed girl kept glancing from side to side, looking for the Chuunin lady.

Sighing, Hinata began wondering if she should journey to the academy by herself. But this train of thought ended when she spotted a dust cloud and a rapidly growing orange figure approaching. A blonde-haired boy, probably close to her age, was running as fast as he could in clothes that barely fit him.

As he was almost to her, he suddenly dropped a small package. He tried to stop and dash back for it, but he stumbled on his sandals and went tumbling in a heap to land at the startled Hinata's feet.

Dropping her bag reflexively, she watched as the boy righted himself. Sitting up, he rubbed his sore head and aching chest, panting quite heavily. Peeking an eye open, he saw a pair of small feet and a bag beside them in front of him.

Hinata had just worked up the courage to speak when the strange boy looked up. His face, though slightly tanned, was red as he tried to catch his breath. He tilted his face slightly to the side as he gazed at her with the brightest set of blue eyes she'd ever seen. Her cheeks instantaneously reddened slightly at his piercing yet gentle gaze.

Chuckling loudly, he put on a large, toothy grin as he started rubbing the back of his neck. "Just my luck to trip, eh?"

Glancing around he spotted his ramen only a few feet away. Looking back up at the dark blue-haired girl, he tried to decide which he should do: make a friend or get to the academy? He chose the former, after all he didn't exactly know where the academy was.

"What's your name?" A very large grin and eager eyes stared up at her as he continued, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Konoha."

He was talking…he was talking to her…he was talking to her and waiting for a reply. She knew that she had to answer. Her slightly red cheeks seemed to brighten as words twisted and tangled in her throat, never quite escaping. Finally, after much strain on her part, she managed to stutter out, "H-Hyuuga…Hi-Hina…ta."

"Hyuuga Hinata?" he repeated, testing the name.

"H-hai."

Naruto's grin widened, but it seemed different than before. She didn't knew exactly why, but this time it seemed to reach his eyes.

"Okay," he said happily. "Um…do you know the way to the Shinobi Academy, Hinata-chan?"

This time her whole face turned a very bright sakura. The only person to have called her Hinata-_chan_ before was her mother. Hinata was spared from having to answer the question, however, when another female spoke up. "She was just leaving for the academy, Uzumaki-san."

Both children visibly jumped when they heard the voice. They faced the pretty, red-eyed Chuunin with varying degrees of surprise, fear, and embarrassment. Hinata felt ready to faint at getting caught by surprise with this boy, her already deep blush could easily decipher the degree of her embarrassment. Naruto could only look at the woman with fear that she might make him leave his new friend.

Yuuhi Kurenai watched the two children thoughtfully for a moment. She would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to not see the beginnings of a crush in her young charge. And not a person in Konoha had no heard of the 'demon boy's' dream of one day becoming Hokage. It took little imagination to see why the two were together.

Picking up Naruto's forgotten cup of instant ramen, she handed it to him as he climbed to his feet. Glancing from one child to the next, she let a small smile out. These two would make an adorable couple in the future.

"Come on, Hyuuga-sama, Uzumaki-san," she said as her smile widened slightly. "We don't want you late for your first class."

The statement earned her another blush from Hinata and a surprised, but fast growing smile from Naruto.

* * *

**Author's Note: **This is my first Naruto fanfic, so please flame me for all I'm worth. I want this story to turn out as well as I've imagined. If I'm off on anyone's character, forget something, or such, TELL ME! I know this was short, but I've got limited time and will do my best to update as soon as possible. 

For those of you who've read my earlier and current story, I'm sorry to say that I've fallen in love with this section to the time being. It doesn't mean that I'll abandon UV, it's just on hold for a while. I promise I'll update that one once I've gotten a boost of inspiration to finish it.


	2. First Day at the Academy

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 2—First Day at the Academy_

As the classroom began to fill, Umino Iruka was able to identify a fair number of children from the more prominent of the Konoha clans. There was an Aburame boy who was as silent as a majority of his clan, an Akimichi boy who was looking around with uncertainty at the other children, a loud Inuzuka boy who was trying to impress several other students, an unusually quiet Hyuuga girl, the Nara boy seemed to be falling asleep where he sat as the Yamanaka girl beside him was trying to talk to him, and of course an Uchiha boy who was sitting quietly in seat. And last, but not least, there was one annoying blonde that he wished that he didn't have to deal with right now.

Upon his entry into the classroom, the blonde had yelled out, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I'm gonna kick all your butts one day!"

This loud announcement had everyone's attention on him. Yet it might have been more impressive if he hadn't tripped on his hand-me-down sandals for the second time that day. Now burning with shame, Naruto was sitting crouched over in his seat.

"Alright, everyone," Iruka called out. "Please sit down and be quiet, class will be starting shortly."

Once the raucous had settled down somewhat, he said, "My name is Umino Iruka. While you train here, you are to call me Iruka-sensei."

Even as Iruka began his welcoming speech, he noticed several students' attentions wondering already. The one person who seemed to be the most interested was Naruto. But as all six-years-olds did, he grew bored of Iruka's droning voice quickly enough.

When the students began introducing themselves, the blonde could hardly wait. People would notice him, if for only a moment. This excitement was enough to squash his earlier embarrassment. He waited impatiently for the others to have their turns.

But when it came for his turn, Iruka called the girl that was after him. Instantly Naruto was on his feet, cutting off Yamanaka Ino's introduction before it even began. "Iruka-sensei, it's my turn!"

"No," the scarred teacher said. "It would've been your turn if you hadn't felt the need to introduce yourself early." This got scattered snickers and giggles from the other students.

Sputtering for a second, he threw a fierce glare at Iruka. "That's not fair!"

"Life is never fair, Naruto," Iruka said gruffly, trying to suppress memories of his deceased parents. "Now sit down. Yamanaka-san, please continue."

Very angry, Naruto spent the remainder of the morning sulking. Thanks to his inattention, he was spared having to notice a withering glare from the blonde girl that would've had him trembling in unconditional fear.

When Iruka called a break between classes, Naruto was the only one to remain in the class. From his obvious frown and angry glare, he was still sulking. So Iruka let him be and left the room.

Once class resumed, Iruka had the students get out their history books. He sat behind his desk as he lectured the beginning of their village and the importance of the shinobi clans. During the whole lecture, Naruto was staring at him with a peculiar look in his eye.

It unnerved him enough to stand up to ask him what the problem was—or try to stand up. Upon a quick inspection, he found that the chair was apparently super-glued to him. But he only figured this out after he stood up. The chair legs hit loudly against the wall behind him, attracting the attention of the rest of the class.

As they watched Iruka try to figure out what possessed the seat to stick to him, the class broke out in loud snickers and giggles. But when Naruto finally lost control and fell out of his seat laughing, the rest of class quickly followed suit.

"NARUTO!" Iruka's angry yell cut through the academy walls like a knife through butter. "Detention tonight!"

* * *

He scrubbed. He swept. He mopped. And scrubbed some more. After what seemed like days, Naruto finally was able to put the cleaning supplies away. Iruka had watched over him like a hawk the entire time, making sure he did every inch. Now the blonde boy stood in the center of a very clean floor. 

As he was walking for the door, Naruto's stomach let out a very loud grumble. Glancing down sadly at his empty belly, he could only pout. Iruka-sensei hadn't even let him stop to have dinner!

"Naruto," the young teacher said, not the least bit sympathetic.

"Yes, sensei?" The strain in the boy's voice to not start being verbally disrespectful was apparent from the glare he shot towards the chuunin.

"It's late, so…" he paused, trying to think of a way to word his thoughts. "I'll take you to a little restaurant for dinner, my treat. What do you say?" He wasn't doing this because he liked the boy. But because, as a teacher, he needed to make sure the boy got at least a fair meal before going home.

There was a moment of silence as Naruto's brain processed what it just heard. Then a slow smile broke out across his face. The next thing Iruka knew, he had an orange bundle hugging him fiercely while thanking him over and over again.

The restaurant turned out to be a little ramen stand called Ichiraku. After only one bowl of miso ramen, Naruto yelled out at the top of his lungs that this was the best ramen he'd ever tasted and that Ichiraku had just become his newest, most favorite restaurant in Konoha. He ended up having nine more bowls.

Iruka was glancing at him with mixed feelings of surprise and disappointment. How could he eat so much ramen and not get sick? But because of the boy's surprising appetite, a considerable portion of his salary now lined the old man's pockets.

"My lord," Teuchi said as he cleaned a table nearby. "It hasn't been this cheerful around here since the Yondaime was last here."

"Really?" Iruka asked, facing the man. "I didn't know he came here."

"Oh yes," Teuchi said off-handedly. "Quite often, actually."

"Who's Yondaime?" Naruto asked innocently.

"You don't know?" both men asked simultaneously.

"Yondaime Hokage is the one who defeated Kyuubi no Kitsune six years ago," Iruka said, switching into lecture-mode automatically. "He was a great man who loved this village and was a very, very strong shinobi."

Teuchi nodded. "He was a genius with crafting seals and I heard he even created his own attack jutsu; the Rasengan, I believe."

Completely awed, Naruto practically yelled out his questions in quick succession. "WOW!! What did it do? Can anyone teach me? Is it really powerful? I want another bowl!"

Chuckling, Teuchi left to make the boy's eleventh bowl. Iruka stared down at the boy's hopeful face. The eagerness in his eyes was almost a palpable thing. The boy was going to hate what he was about to say. "Sorry, Naruto, but no one knows anything about it. Yondaime was the only person who knew how to perform it; at least that's what I've been told."

Naruto visibly deflated at that information. He had hoped to learn an awesome, ultra-super strong jutsu that proved he was destined to be Hokage. If being strong meant having strong techniques, and no one could teach him any, then…

His head snapped up and a foxy grin spread across his face. The grin was infectious due to his pure sincerity. Then he said in a loud voice filled with determination four words that would change history.

"Then I'll make one!"

* * *

**Author's Note**: Well, there you have it: chapter two. This is what convinced Naruto to start making his own techniques. I hope that I haven't messed too much. I don't know, but something seems off about this chapter. Perhaps one of you could help clarify if it's for real or just my imagination. 


	3. Crafting his Identity

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 3—__Crafting his Identity_

_Chakra: the mental and physical energies a shinobi wields to create, activate, and maintain jutsus._

_Handseals: the different symbols of the hands that chakra can be molded into to form jutsus. Different combinations of handseals unleash different jutsus._

Naruto sat in his apartment, reading by the moonlight. The stove in his small home was the only source of heat, and that heat was scarce at best. If his window wasn't broken, the cramped home could've contained the warmth a little easier.

Growling in frustration, Naruto slammed the book shut. It was as close to useless as it could get; only the theory and definitions of the use of chakra and hand seals. It didn't tell how to mold the chakra into the handseals. Maybe he _shouldn't_ have rushed off to buy the first book on chakra he saw…

A wide yawn escaped him as he stood. Stretching, he felt relief surge through his sore limbs. Another yawn and he trudged over to shut off the stove. His small body was tired from all the stress it had gone through earlier. Even with his unusually high stamina, he was bone weary. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was asleep.

**

* * *

**"Deception is an essential ability that all shinobi must have," Iruka said to the class. "To pretend you are weaker than you truly are can cause an overconfident opponent to underestimate you. That could allow you to either win a battle against an enemy of equal strength or to escape safely." 

The class seemed to be lulled into a trance by Iruka's speech. While several keywords did survive, most of the lecture fell on weak ears. It was understandable: kids want to practice, train, or do something physical. Trapped in an uncomfortable chair of a hot classroom for a boring lecture was more than they could stand. But while their bodies couldn't leave, their minds wandered.

Taking a brief pause, Iruka glanced up and saw that many eyes were glazing over in drowsiness and heads were drooping. Sighing, he walked to his desk and slammed the book down loudly on top of it. Instantly, all eyes were open and on him. Letting a small smirk cross his face, he called out, "Naruto?"

The blonde lifted his slouched head off his arm at the sound of his name. Looking up at his sensei, he said, "Hai, Iruka-sensei?"

"What would be another use of deception that you could use in your everyday life?" he asked, watching the blonde expectantly.

"Ah…" Desperately, Naruto tried to understand the word 'deception' but he had rarely ever heard such a weird word used before. Well, if he couldn't answer the question right, then he could at least try to get a laugh out of it. "I'd use it to add more flavor to my miso ramen!"

Iruka gave a rather heated glare at the blonde. The uncertain laughter Naruto was trying to spread to the other students died as he noticed no one had even paid attention to him.

"Sakura-san," Iruka said in a kind, if strained, voice. He was certain that if the kids weren't going to listen to him, then listening to their friends and classmates would aid them in remembering. "Same question."

Sakura stared at Iruka for a moment with wide eyes. Her cheeks reddened as she felt the stares of the class heavily on her shoulders. Thinking for a moment, she tentatively answered. "Ano, Iruka-sensei. I-If a shinobi wanted to hide a secret about himself or what he could do, he could act certain ways. He could do things that would make people think less of him."

Smiling kindly, Iruka said, "Very good, Sakura-san. That is exactly what many shinobi do." Speaking louder, Iruka drew their attentions again. "Now it is time for your split training. All boys come with me. Girls, you shall remain here until your other sensei arrives in a few minutes."

As the boys were filing out, Naruto heard a very faint gasp that sounded like 'Naruto-kun.' Glancing at the girl he'd just passed, he saw white eyes and red cheeks. He smiled brightly at her for a moment. However, in doing so, he had paused right in the middle of the aisle and in front of a rather impatient Inuzuka.

Kiba growled as he shoved Naruto out of his way. Ignoring the blonde, he continued forward. Thus he didn't see Naruto land in Sakura's lap. Sakura, having her back to him when it happened, retaliated with far more aggression than anyone had ever seen from her.

"Get off me, Uzumaki!!" she yelled angrily in his face as he futilely tried to apologize. Grabbing a handful of his hair, she pulled her free arm back. The next instant, Naruto was once again in front of Kiba but with a rapidly swelling eye.

Sitting up, Naruto put on his favorite foxy grin. Ignoring the pain, he called out in a voice filled with awe. "That was an awesome punch, Sakura-chan!"

"Don't call me that!" Sakura snapped, a throbbing vein just barely visible under her long pink bangs.

"Why?" he asked innocently.

"Because I'm not your friend, baka!" she growled.

"Oh, okay," he said, sounding sad. Then, in the blink of an eye, his face changed back into its usual happy mask. "Bye, Sakura-chan!"

As the pink-haired kunoichi-in-training fumed, Hinata felt a tight knot tie itself around her. Rapidly growing depressed, she couldn't help but ask to herself: did Naruto-kun like Sakura-san? Did he still want to be her friend? Was she even _worthy_ of being his friend?

But through her depression, she found that she probably wouldn't have the courage to talk to him for a little while.

**

* * *

**The walk home for him was a particularly peaceful one for him. The villagers didn't spare him a second glance. It seemed as though they were taking a short break from tormenting him. That alone put him into a good mood. But he'd also finally learned how to tap into his chakra today! 

It was a lot harder than he thought it would've been; requiring intense concentration. The goal Iruka had given the class was to channel chakra throughout every part of his body. It took him much longer than any of the other students, but he'd been able to get it after a while.

Racing through Konoha as fast as he could go, he made a beeline for his apartment. After a small meal of five instant ramen packages, he propped himself on his bed to practice the chakra molding again. He knew if he could master this ability quickly, he'd be another step closer to his ultimate goal.

Replaying the lecture through his mind, he focused. As he felt the chakra rising and being channeled, a fragment of the lecture floated through his mind. It, specifically, was Sakura's speech on what current shinobi do to hide things.

"—_if a shinobi wanted to hide a secret about himself or what he could do, he could act certain ways. He could do things that would make people think less of him_."

_Yes, that's what I'll do_. He thought as he let the chakra slip away. A devious grin broke across his face as he imagined what was to come in the future. _I'll act, nobody will know or even guess what I'm doing_.

**

* * *

****Author's Note**: Man, what a response I'm getting from only three chapters! My other fanfics didn't see anywhere near this number of reviews until they were near their eighth or ninth chapters. I hope that it continues on this trend. 

Does anyone have any ideas that they wish to share with me for what could happen in later chapters? I'm all ears. If no one has any suggestions, then this shall be it for the Rookie Nine's younger years. I promise the next chapter will be easily twice as long as the previous ones.

Next chapter: **The Ultimate Jutsu**.

Naruto: _Look out! I'm gonna kick everybody's asses with my new jutsu! Believe it!_


	4. The Ultimate Jutsu

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 4_—_The Ultimate Jutsu_

Almost six years have passed since Uzumaki Naruto, unofficial demon of the Leaf village, entered the Shinobi Academy. The village has had a number of pranksters in the past but none would probably ever be as infamous as Naruto. He pulled pranks as a means of petty vengeance, to relieve boredom, or to brighten an occasionally bad day. In short, almost everyone has been a victim of his.

Today, the terrible prankster stood in the middle of a wooded area. Carefully checking that he was alone, he smiled. Years of pulling pranks in village dominated by large numbers of shinobi had forced him to adapt and develop skills that he probably wouldn't have acquired for some time. Like to sense when a person was nearby, even though their hidden, and to notice in the slightest change of wind any new scents it carried. In all, he was gifted with sensory abilities of such thoroughness that they put most Jounins to shame.

Going through the necessary handseals, he engaged his first attempt at creating his own jutsu. His original inspiration for it came from a simple henge. If shinobi were meant to be spies, then he should create a super-cool henge that would be the ultimate spying ability. So he spent some time observing older shinobi and what he found disgusted him. Most shinobi were males, and near all of them were perverts! That ruled out the choice of what sex the henge would appear as.

He started practicing with normal henges. The first ones merely gave him more feminine features and a pair of pigtails. That was the easy part. Then he tried to make the henge a bit more scantily clad, wearing only her undergarments. For some reason, he could tell it was far from perfect.

Dropping the henge after another failed attempt, he sat down to ponder what was wrong. He knew what the ultimate goal of this jutsu was to be, perverted as it was. He knew it had to be completely _perfect_ for it to work successfully. So far he could get the shape of the arms, legs, and face. But because he didn't knew what a truly nude girl looked like--

"That's it!" he cried out, jumping to his feet.

He left his training area behind in a blur. It took only a short run before he was back in Konoha. His destination was the nearest bookstore, since he wouldn't demean himself to peep like a pervert. Silently slipping past the drowsy man, Naruto found his needed 'research material.'

Chuckles broke out of his throat as he mesmerized the shapes, curves, and angles of the women in the magazine. Oh, he hated perverts but it would be so much fun to see their reactions to this jutsu.

"Get out of my store, Naruto," a voice filled with menace growled from behind and above him. Flinching at getting caught, the boy glanced nervously behind him. The expression on the once-sleepy man's face promised immediate and painful retaliation should he not comply with the demands.

* * *

_I need a sparring partner_, he thought moodily. 

He had just spent the last three hours honing his accuracy with kunai and shuriken, then alternating between his taijutsu and ninjutsu. While his form was nearly perfect, the lack of a decent or superior partner was preventing him from reaching new heights.

The only thing he wanted was to kill his—no, he wouldn't even consider that man any relation to himself—that man who had so easily destroyed his life and clan. For his vengeance, he needed far more power. For that, he needed a partner.

Having grown irritated with his solo practice, Uchiha Sasuke left his training field. At first he merely walked through the streets of Konoha, looking for something that could 'entertain' him enough to get his inspiration to train back up while avoiding that ridiculous 'fan-club' he'd somehow acquired.

He almost wished that blonde baka would make a random appearance. What that dobe seemed to possess was an uncanny ability to both piss him off while giving his ego a good boost.

As if Sasuke had performed Kuchiyose no Jutsu, the blonde appeared on the street at his feet after having been thrown out of the door of a bookstore. Naruto had what looked like a growing bruise on his right eye.

"Don't let me catch you in my store again, Uzumaki!" a man growled dangerously from inside the store that Naruto had made a rather ungraceful exit from. Not waiting for a reply, the man slammed the door shut.

"When I become Hokage, I'm gonna cook your ass over a slow fire, teme," the blonde growled moodily, more to himself than anyone else.

"Hn," Sasuke smirked conceitedly, which drew Naruto's attention. "The day you become a Kage will be a sad day indeed."

"Shut up, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto yelled as he bounced to his feet.

"A dobe will never be anything other than a dobe, baka," Sasuke said as he started to walk away. He knew he was pushing Naruto's buttons, but he was bored.

Clenching his jaw and fists tightly, Naruto tried to think up a comeback but as usual Sasuke seemed to be leaving him in the dust. If there was one thing that he truly couldn't stand, it was Sasuke's superiority complex with him. Perverts, the unyielding villagers' hatred of him, and his frustration at not completing his own jutsu all took the backseat when the last Uchiha was involved.

As the Uchiha was strutting away, Naruto lost his temper. Dashing for the unprotected boy's back with all the speed he could muster, he let an angry roar of "_I'M GONNA CRUSH YOU, TEME!_"

Sasuke hardly moved until Naruto was nearly on top of him. Then, faster than Naruto could react, Sasuke ducked under the punch as he swept his leg back. This resulted in Naruto being tripped and, with his momentum built up to its maximum, was sent tumbling down the street a short ways.

After reorienting himself for a second, Naruto was charging Sasuke again. His fist nearly touched the dark-haired boy as he sailed in again. Merely shifting his weight, his knee came up and into the blonde's gut. Withdrawing, Sasuke spun on his anchored heel and he sent Naruto flying through the air with a sweeping kick.

This kick sent the blonde crashing through the window of a store. The stoic mask slipped slightly as he heard the surprised, then furious yells of the customers and employees inside as Naruto futilely tried to apologize and escape.

Deciding he had sufficiently inflated his pride for the moment, he walked away. Behind him, he heard Naruto get thrown back out into the street; across from the store he'd made a similar exit from with a growing bruise around the other eye as well.

* * *

He was in a very foul mood, so he spared no prisoners on his little battlefield. Slurping up the remainder of the ramen, he placed the bowl on the rather high stack of the dozen already consumed bowls. The pile promised to continue climbing as he hollered for another. 

As he waited for his miso ramen to arrive, he took up a slightly disheveled scroll from the side. On it were the instructions for the different uses of chakra and how to manipulate it. Scribbled along the edges of the scroll were notes he'd written.

After finally completing his first jutsu, he started on plans for his second. It took him many hours of secretive researching, stress, and one dumb cat chasing a ball for him to finally get an idea.

What he needed was a much more detailed description for chakra usage and control. But the academy just didn't have what he was looking for. Even though he'd begged and pleaded until he was blue in the face, he couldn't wrestle the information out of Iruka-sensei who'd finally started to treat him a bit more humanely. Iruka claimed that if Naruto couldn't get the basics of the basics completely, then he most certainly couldn't do the more advanced practices.

Next Naruto took his complaints to the old man, but Sandaime seemed to agree with Iruka. Naruto's frustration at getting denied by the people he most respected was taking him to a breaking point and the only other alternative that he really didn't want to do.

Just as he seemed ready to commit theft, the scroll appeared. He'd opened his apartment door one morning as he was rushing to the academy and slipped on it. Though there was no one in sight, he could faintly smell the lingering scent of lilacs. Naruto was so happy that the scroll held all the information that he needed that he made no attempt to pay attention in class that day, instead focusing on reading the scroll.

Now that he had it, what kind of jutsu would he make? Of the basic elements that most jutsus were derived from, he couldn't make up his mind between fire or electricity. As he pondered this dilemma, he began to absentmindedly start stirring his ramen slowly.

What he wanted was a jutsu that could do a lot of damage in an instant. Now he reasoned that a stabbing jutsu could easily live up to that condition, but the though of shoving his arm through a person's body didn't sit too well with his stomach.

Sighing in defeat, he glanced down at his bowl. The noodles were tangled around his chopsticks in a spiral pattern while the soup swirled around, giving the ramen a distinctive spinning motion. Swirling…spinning…drilling!

An excited cry of victory tore itself from Naruto. The answer was simple. A drilling jutsu could do the most damage, especially if it spread out once inside enemy's body! Now he just needed to find a technique that would teach him how to spin chakra. As this thought was forming in his mind, he discovered the answer to it almost simultaneously.

Ramen had all answers.

WATER! With water he could feel the chakra moving and feel how well it was working. But he couldn't hold water, obviously, so he'd need a water balloon to get started. First, he'd need to learn how to spin the water inside the balloon at great speeds. Then, because it was an expanding 'drill' so to say, he'd need to somehow destroy the balloon. As to how he could do this, he wasn't sure but he decided to cross that bridge when he came to it.

Quickly finishing and paying for his meal, he left. Stuffing the scroll into the pouch he wore on his belt on his new orange jumpsuit, he raced off to the nearest store he could find. Ignoring the icy glares the adults shot him, he grabbed a whole handful of balloons from the jar by the cash register. As usual, he was forced to pay a horrendously inflated price, even for balloons!

Racing out of the door, Naruto had every intention of running off to his secret training area. But he ran face-first into an unyielding wall of muscle. From his new position on the ground, surrounded by his new balloons, he glared hotly up into two pairs of cold white eyes.

* * *

Cold eyes watched the confrontation between the Hyuuga clan members and the bane of Konoha. The man wore merely a simple chuunin flak jacket and the normal shinobi accessories. His face was bland with no distinguishing features. 

He watched disdainfully as the Hyuuga snarled at the boy. As they got into a heated battle of wits and words, the man couldn't help but question the level of intelligence of the villagers. Why couldn't they see that there was a large and rather obvious difference between a loud, attention-starved, child and the incomprehensible, bloodthirsty Kyuubi? Oh well, at least this dark life had the potential to make him stronger.

That would make his job more interesting in the long run.

Smirking, the man left the scene as one of theHyuuga used the Hakke Rokujuuyon Sho on the loud blonde as it seemed he'd gotten the better of the two verbally. The boy's loud and rather colorful curses escorted him out of the village. The man's smirk didn't fade, not even after he dropped the three-layered henge. His blood-red eyes seemed to glow in anticipation.

_Only a little while longer_, he thought relatively gleefully. _Then, we'll be ready_.

* * *

He'd only come into this section of town twice that he could remember. The first had been when he'd gotten lost on his way to the Shinobi Academy on his first day oh so long ago. The second had been only a few days afterward, when he'd tried to come and play with Hinata-chan. But he'd been more than unpleasantly threatened (or as they said, promised) many gruesome and painful experiences should he return to their area again. 

Since then, he'd avoided the section like the plague. Those white-eyed bastards were all over the place here. That was because their clan compound seemed to be located here. He disliked them very much because of the look of superiority all of them seemed to share.

All of them were uptight, arrogant bastards who really needed to be brought back down to earth. So he now considered it his sworn duty to do just that. It was high time that they learned that they weren't all-powerful. That was the reason why he was here now in the dead of night, revenge: Naruto style.

After the Hyuuga closed his tenketsu points, he had hurried off to his apartment to rest. For some reason that he couldn't understand when he tried to do his chakra molding exercises, he couldn't bring it out. It was like it was being blocked off or something. As he futilely tried to access his chakra, a brilliant idea had formed in his mind.

Using his considerable stealth to the absolute best of his ability, he snuck inside the Hyuuga compound. Then, from one building to another, he raided their homes. Though he was extremely careful what he took, only the most humiliating of things that he could. He had once heard of the abilities of the legendary Byakugan; to see through things, to see people's inner chakra coils, and nearly three-sixty degrees of vision. So if he made even the slightest noise (a board creak, a sneeze, even breathing too loud) he knew he'd be in a world of pain.

He would immediately henge into a section of the floor or a rug if he heard the slightest sound or smelled something out of place. This paranoia proved invaluable as he almost was caught by a drowsy guard who was making his hourly routine.

It took him more than three hours to finish his goal, but it was worth it in his eyes. One of the last rooms he slipped into his nose was embraced by a familiar and comforting scent. It was the smell of flowers, or more specifically lilacs. A smell he'd come to associate with only one person.

_Hinata-chan_? He could see her sleeping on her bed, wrapped up snugly in her bed covers. Her face was relaxed and peaceful. It held not trace of a blush he'd always seen on her or the timid persona she possessed. Though he had always kind of thought of her as a weird, dark, and shy girl, this new Hinata seemed…

Shaking his head to get his mind back on the plan, he took a deep breath and sighed. One last glance at the sleeping girl stole his resolve. He couldn't do it to her. She was just too kind to him and everyone else to have something like what he had in mind to happen to her.

He shot her a rueful grin s he backed out of the room.

* * *

Only one word could be used to describe the Village Hidden in the Leaves the next morning: chaotic. Scattered throughout the Leaf village was the nearly the entire Hyuuga clan's clothing and undergarments. They were thrown about the streets, in alleyways, on top of buildings, and even hanging mockingly in trees. 

While the villagers and Hyuuga clan were busy trying to handle the situation, most of the shinobi populace was chasing a near-hyperventilating prankster from one side of Konoha to the other and back. If they weren't busy from collecting their clothing, the Hyuuga would've most assuredly thrown a _lot_ more than glares at the blonde as he passed them.

Finally with nearly four full squads of Chuunin, Jounin, and ANBU surrounding him, Naruto was cornered. He was on his hands and knees, struggling to breathe. But his short of breath didn't come from the rigorous chase and escape he'd just been in.

"How could you do that to the Hyuuga clan, Naruto?" snapped an aggravated Chuunin dangerously.

"Because their fucking bastards, baka!" he shot back. Unsteadily, he climbed to his feet with his infamous foxy grin.

"That maybe so," a Jounin said to his side. "But that doesn't justify your actions."

"Uzumaki," an ANBU said with a clear order in his voice. "You're going to the Sandaime, now come quietly and your punishment be reduced."

"NO WAY!" Naruto yelled, his foxy grin widened noticeably. It automatically put the shinobi on edge. This was the perfect time, he realized, to test his first original jutsu. "I haven't tested my first jutsu! You'll love it!"

Forming the o-hitsuji seal, his grin covered his face. Enveloped in his chakra, he cried out, "Oiroke no Jutsu!"

In a burst of smoke, the most beautiful blonde girl they'd ever seen appeared. She had slender limbs, a pair of long ponytails, dazzling blue eyes, and her whisker marks just added a seductiveness to her that made her seem to just be dripping with sexiness.

But what really caught their attentions was the fact that she was totally nude before them and didn't seem to mind showing off her rather substantial assets.

They were NOT expecting this.

Thus, since all the shinobi were males, no one was there to stop the blonde boy when he took off again. This time, there was no mistaking the loud, irritating laughter that echoed across the village for the rest of the morning.

* * *

**(Author's Note) **_HAHA!_ Didn't I tell you? TWICE AS LONG! Although I don't think I can keep it up, the next chapter is undergoing heavy renivations so I have no idea when I'll be posting it. But please hang in there. 

Can anyone tell me what they thought of Sasuke? I have very little experience with characters like him, so please forgive me if he doesn't live up to your expectations.

Next time: the academy exams are finally here. Are things going to be different, or is history going to repeat itself?


	5. Pass or Fail, Genin Exams

**(Author's Note)** For those of you who despise reading canon rewritten, then just skip over this chapter and straight to Chapter 9. Though I think you should read these chapters anyway, after all the devil is in the details. I know the next few chapters will be painful to read, but once you start reading, the storyline picks up momentum and is _well worth the time_. Trust me.

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 5—Pass or Fail, Genin Exams_

It seems all things have a silver lining, even punishments. In Naruto's case, it was learning the fastest routes to the summit of the Hokage Monument. That had been the punishment for the Hyuuga incident: to scrub the monument every evening for the next three months. Now to celebrate the end of his probation, he pulled easily the most infamous of all pranks ever. He put graffiti all over the past Kages' faces.

As if it were a repeat from several months earlier, the blonde was once again being chased throughout Konoha. But this time it was only by a pair of Chuunin. While he was enjoying the chase, the blonde was also having an almost unholy amount of fun thanks to two of his latest jutsus.

When the chuunin pair first started chasing him, he inhaled deeply then blew a dense smokescreen around himself. Once they lost sight of him, he took off running. But they found him easily enough due to his ridiculously loud voice as he laughed off the simplicity of his escape.

Then chuunin were almost on him when he put his second jutsu to work. It surrounded his body in a haze of chakra and blurred his image. This made it extremely difficult for the pair to grab onto him.

"Naruto!" one of them yelled. "Get back here…! When I get my hands on you—!"

"You've crossed the line this time, Naruto!" the other yelled, purposely interrupting his partner.

"Give it up! You're just bent because you don't have the guts to do what I did, do ya? Losers! Wannabes!" Taking the chase up into the air and the taller buildings, Naruto yelled out mockingly at them as he rebounded off a building and sailed right between the pair "You'll never catch me!"

Landing briefly, he dodged around a corner and vanished from sight. The chuunin were only a hair's breath away, sailing around the corner while yelling at the energetic blonde. Once the pair disappeared over a building, a small tarp lowered from its position on the wall.

Chuckling once again at the simplicity of his escape, Naruto proudly proclaimed, "That was _too_ easy."

"Oh yeah, _NARUTO!_" a familiar, angry voice snapped in his ear.

Yelping in shock and reflexively jumping several feet in the air, Naruto collapsed on the ground. Facing the man who'd snuck up on him, he gave him irritated glare. "Where'd you come from, Iruka-sensei…? What are you doing here?"

"No, what are you doing here?" Iruka snapped, pointing his finger in Naruto's face threateningly. "You're supposed to be class."

**

* * *

**Iruka was giving him another lecture. But Naruto, as usual, wasn't even trying to pay attention. Instead, he put on a big show of pouting like a baby in front of the class from his bound position on the floor. Apparently this didn't sit too well with Iruka and he did the same thing that most teachers do to 'inspire cooperation among teammates.' 

"_Fine_, because you missed it, Naruto," he said with finality in his voice. "_Everyone_ in class shall review the Henge no Jutsu." This got a chorus of groans and complaints from the class instantly.

Untying the blonde, Iruka sent back with his classmates as they gathered in the front of the classroom. Truth be told, Iruka had been planning on reviewing this jutsu with class for several days now. Naruto's prank seemed as good of an excuse as any to use.

Most of the students were acceptable with the skill, but he didn't want to send his students out into the shinobi world with only an 'acceptable' skill level. Of course several students were unusually talented; Sakura was the most talented it seemed thanks to her near-perfect chakra control.

When it came time for Naruto's turn, he could clearly see the irritated glint in his usually bright, happy eyes. Thanks to years of teaching the blonde, Iruka saw the faint warning signs that he was going to do something. The small foxy grin on his face only reinforced this.

Silently watching her blonde crush as he made his way forward, Hinata timidly poked her index fingers together. A faint blush was visible as usual while she watched and silently cheered for him.

"Henge no Jutsu!" Naruto said, as his chakra surrounded him.

In a poof of smoke, a very beautiful blonde girl stood in his place. She blew a kiss at Iruka as she winked innocently. Even though he'd heard of this, Iruka was still not prepared for it and was sent flying from a massive burst of blood.

Dropping the henge, Naruto's loud laughter echoed through the quiet room. "Gotcha!" he laughed. "That's my Oiroke no Jutsu!"

"CUT THE STUPID TRICKS!" the young teacher yelled in his face. "_THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!_"

* * *

Class had a rather peculiar air about it today. Anxiety was so thick that it was almost visible to the naked eye. Yet an undercurrent of excitement and determination gave the atmosphere a definite charge. The only time this happened was when the class was taking a significant test. But this time it was ten times worse; their Genin exams! 

Thus far they had been tested on taijutsu, weapon's accuracy, basic genjutsu, and first aid. But this was after an hour long written test on shinobi laws of conduct, common courtesy, and interactions with another shinobi village.

Sakura aced the written test easily, with Sasuke only a few points behind. But for the more practical test, Sasuke lived up to his reputation of being the number one rookie. If he'd have wanted, he knew for a fact that he could've aced the written test and come near the top for the second half. But as it were, he was more content to score average. After all, it was just too troublesome to do more than that.

While watching clouds was far more alluring, he also decided it would prove to be worth his time to run mental estimate of who would get what grade to pass or fail. It was almost too easily to guess on almost everyone, except for Naruto.

Shikamaru had always been a little more observant than the others, perhaps due to his cloud-watching pastime. Due to this, he felt sure that he knew why the blonde always failed. He wasn't focused on his studies in the academy or even all those pranks. No, he was much more interested in developing his own jutsus and abilities for some unknown but obsessive reason.

It wasn't a matter of ability that held him back either for only an exceptionally skilled stealth and scouting specialist could perform so many pranks and usually escape unscathed. And due to his pranks, Shikamaru knew Naruto was smart, the ingeniousness in some of his pranks proved it.

Sighing in defeat at the surprisingly complex puzzle that was the 'dead last,' Shikamaru returned his attention to Choji. The pudgy boy was proudly detailing his exam in between chewing a bag of potato chips. Heh, too bad he didn't share the same simple-mindedness as his lifelong friend, he mused. Or else he wouldn't have an approaching headache.

**

* * *

**Though he'd never admit it if the Nara boy told him his theories, Naruto's rather poor grades came from exactly those reasons. When he was younger he'd made such an attempt at being a screw-up that it actually began to become a part of his personality as far as the academy was concerned. His true focus had been on making his own jutsus. 

While he himself didn't exactly know the reason for his obsessive research and creation of the techniques, he had a fair idea where it came from. He was an orphan with no clan. So no one was there to teach him jutsus that only family knew. It drove him to almost a depressed mind frame whenever he thought about the special training almost all his classmates got, but not him. So he felt an irresistible urge to create jutsus that he could proudly yell out were his and his alone.

Yet his lack of focus cost him to fail the last two genin exams. So far, he'd done hardly any better than last time. When Iruka announced that the final exam was the Bushin no Jutsu, Naruto almost caused an embarrassing scene.

He had to clamp his hands over his mouth to stop from screaming in frustration. He could not perform that simple ninjutsu if his life depended on it; like there was some cosmic deity that was preventing him from even doing it properly.

Now, as he stood before Iruka and the new academy sensei Mizuki, he had a deep frown on his face. It was now or never if he could get that jutsu right. His gathered chakra perfectly visible to the naked eye as he concentrated hard on pouring an excessive amount into his handseals.

"Bushin no Jutsu!" he called out as the chakra exploded around him and kicked up a cloud of smoke. When it cleared, there were two Naruto but the difference between them was like night and day. One was the real; while the clone was a sickly pale white and lying dead on the floor.

A second of silence greeted Naruto's nervous, twitching body; he knew it was coming, especially the way that Iruka's eyebrow was twitching. Then…

"YOU FAIL!"

**

* * *

**He sat on the only swing in the academy yard, in the shade of the trees. His face was sullen and his eyes were downcast. Leaning his head against the swing's rope, he was the perfect picture of dejection. 

Across the yard was a large group of children who had passed their genin exams and their parents stood proudly at their sides, congratulating them while boasting to other parents. He watched them with a deepening hollow feeling in his stomach. The loneliness was getting worse these days. It wouldn't be long before he did something that would either make him or the villagers crack.

All he wanted was a real friend, someone to talk and laugh with on a regular basis. Sure, Iruka seemed to being doing a good job at that, but he was still Naruto's sensei. There was only so much time he could spare on the blonde.

Placing his goggles on to his forehead, he was about to get up to leave when he sensed someone suddenly appear near him. Looking up in the tree, he saw Mizuki-sensei looking down at him with what could almost be considered a calculating gaze. But it quickly vanished as a kind smile lit up the man's face.

**

* * *

**Mizuki watched the blonde run off, his cheerful attitude once again restored. When the boy was safely out of sight, his gaze darkened considerably as a wicked grin of anticipation appeared. 

The blonde boy had been surprisingly easy to convince. He didn't know whether to be relieved or worried about the ease of it. But he settled for relief; after all, he was chuunin and that demon vessel's body probably was too weak to wield the awesome powers of the kitsune once held. This thought had his sneer turning malicious.

The Kyuubi seemed to have lost its memory or it was biding its time, waiting for the right time to return. Whatever the reason, Mizuki was sure that the situation was safely in his control. His plan was ingenious.

He hadn't spent the last year mesmerizing the schedules of the comings and goings at the Hokage Tower, searching for the exact location of the Forbidden Scroll, and finding a plausible explanation as to how it could suddenly go missing.

It was Naruto's poor grades and his loud mouth that drew Mizuki's attention. The Kyuubi wanted to be Hokage, huh? Well, the fact that his abilities were the weakest of the academy students pretty much guaranteed that he'd fail. The kitsune must be getting desperate to become a shinobi now. What better way to gain its trust that to stand up for it during its failed attempt in the exam and then telling it of a 'secret way to pass'?

Mizuki warned him not to try to retrieve the scroll until late at night, just to make it easier on his part of getting it. It would be a long few hours before he could safely make his move at getting what should've been his birthright. But, in the meantime, he could plan out how he would deal with the Kyuubi when the time came.

Nobody would miss him; he was just the human form of the demon fox.

Chuckling sinisterly under his breath, Mizuki turned and headed back to the academy. He may not be staying the village for much longer, but he couldn't afford to blow his cover just yet.

**

* * *

**It was well past midnight. He was sitting on the ground in front of an old warehouse in the middle of the forest, almost a mile from Konoha. In his lap was a very large and heavy scroll. Gently, almost respectfully, he untied the ropes that held it shut and its secrets hidden from the world. 

Unrolling it across his lap, he gazed upon it with wide eyes. The thrill of learning a powerful jutsu that no one his age could possibly know was enough to drive him ecstatic. But as he read the name of the first jutsu, his excitement died like it had been squashed by a bug.

"Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," he said quietly. Tajuu? That meant 'mass,' while Kage was 'shadow,' but bunshin could only mean…

Yelling out in disbelief at this ridiculous coincidence, he groaned out, "Not this again! It's my worst jutsu!"

He really didn't want to learn this technique, but Mizuki-sensei said that any technique would do. Maybe this technique was different from the one they thought in the academy. As this thought passed his mind, he grew certain of it. Why else would it be in the 'Forbidden' Scroll if it wasn't different?

Reading the brief explanation of the jutsu that was next to its name, he stared in disbelief. Then a sly foxy grin broke across his face. If he could master this jutsu, he'd never lose to Sasuke again and the title of Hokage would most assuredly be his in a few years!

With a renewed determination, Naruto quickly set about learning what would soon become his early trademark jutsu.

**

* * *

**It was nearing morning, a faint violet appearing on the eastern horizon. The blonde boy was sitting in a hunched posture and was panting heavily. The stolen scroll was strapped to his back and seemed to be weighing him down as he fought to catch his breath. 

This was how Iruka found Naruto.

The blonde looked up in surprise when he heard the scarred sensei land near him. Iruka chuckled almost menacingly as he bent over the boy. "It's all over," he said with that voice that he always used when Naruto was about to get in serious trouble.

Instead of noticing his sensei's dangerous expression, Naruto closed his eyes and chuckled good-naturedly. His legs wobbled slightly as he stood up, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Got me already?" he said, slightly disappointed. "You're quick, sensei. I only had time to learn two techniques."

Standing up, Iruka peered quizzically at his blonde student. Sweat was glistening from his face and his legs seemed just barely able to contain the strength to hold him up. He had only seen Naruto like this when he was training. _He's been out here practicing_, he realized. _I can tell how hard he's been working_.

"Listen, sensei," Naruto said suddenly, his grin large. "I'm going to show you one of my amazing jutsus and you're going to let me graduate. That's how it works right? Whoever learns at least one jutsu from this scroll passes!"

"What?" Iruka asked, confused. "Where'd you get that idea?"

"Mizuki-sensei told me!" Naruto said happily, practically bouncing as he felt his strength fast returning. "He told me where to find the scroll and this place…" He trailed off as he noticed two things; Iruka's expression as he put things together and the sudden sound of kunai rushing through the air.

Hearing the sound at the same time, but reacting faster, Iruka shoved Naruto out of the way of the deadly hail of daggers. The force of the multiple kunai pushed him back against the warehouse wall. It was extremely lucky for Iruka that he'd worn his chuunin flak jacket of several of the kunai would've buried themselves in his abdomen. As it were, only one actually pierced his body; just above his right knee.

"I see you've found our little hideaway," a familiar voice said from the forest canopy.

**

* * *

**Sandaime Hokage was sitting at his desk. In front of him was a crystal ball on a small cushion. He gazed steadily into its depths, watching the events in the forest commence. It had shocked him slightly to learn that Mizuki was the one really behind the theft of the Forbidden Scroll. 

He'd been monitoring all the chuunin, jounin, and ANBU that were scouring the village in a desperate attempt to find the scroll. He'd been lucky that he was lucky that he was paying particularly close attention to Iruka, after all the man seemed to have a knack at finding Naruto when he had done something wrong.

He sighed in resignation as he listened to Mizuki proclamation of Naruto being the Kyuubi no Kitsune. That baka didn't even know the difference between the blonde and fox. But, apparently, it hit Naruto harder than he thought it would.

When Iruka was able to trick Mizuki, he couldn't help but smirk slightly. For all his boasts that he was superior to him, Mizuki fell for that henge quite quickly. Then, as Iruka had saved Naruto from a hail of kunai, the blonde suddenly saved Iruka for a being torn apart by the traitor's shuriken.

What really caught Sandaime's attention was the blonde forming a familiar crossed seal that was the signature of the Kage Bunshin. The old man couldn't help but chuckle as the Kyuubi vessel filled the surrounding area with a thousand shadow clones and Mizuki's panicked disbelief.

He promptly stopped watching when all Naruto charged. The outcome was obvious. But he had another matter to attend to; informing the searching nins of the scroll's safety. His small smile didn't fade as a stray thought crossed his mind.

_Arashi's legacy was certainly living up to his expectations; being the number one most surprising shinobi of his generation_.

**

* * *

**He could see the morning's light through his closed eyelids. Even though it was covered, it was still blinding. The irritation made itself known as he let out a complaint. "Iruka-sensei, how much longer?" 

"Okay," the young man said quietly. "You can open your eyes now."

The sight that greeted him was Iruka's smiling face. He held Naruto's goggles in one hand. But what caught the blonde's attention was his forehead was clearly visible, devoid of his headband. That's when he realized where it had disappeared to.

It was tied snugly onto his own forehead.

"Congratulations," Iruka said, with genuine cheer in his voice. "You graduate. And to celebrate, I have a surprise…we're going out for ramen tonight."

Naruto was silent. He couldn't believe all this was happening at last. He'd finally been allowed to graduate. He finally found someone who actually believed in him. Even though he'd stolen a highly dangerous artifact from the Hokage Tower and used it, he was still allowed to become a genin. It was too much for him to put into words to describe his joy.

Looking down at the blonde as the silence started to stretch, he was greeted by a loud, joyful yell. "IRUKA-SENSEI!" rang out Naruto's happy voice in his ears as he was tackled against the tree with the boy giving him a fierce hug.

**

* * *

**Whew, that's a relief. I didn't think that I'd ever finish this chapter. But still, I'm somewhat happy as to how this chapter turned out. It's much better than what I had originally planned it to be. 

For those you who are wondering what that second jutsu is that Naruto learned, here's your challenge: the person that gives me an idea of what kind of jutsu it should be (and I like it) will have the next chapter dedicated to him/her. Good luck.

Next chapter: **Sasuke and Sakura: Friends or Foes**

Naruto: _Finally I getting started on my journey to becoming Hokage, but why does the bastard Uchiha have to be on my team? And Sakura keeps calling out his name, 'Sasuke! Sasuke!' What's the big deal? Just you wait to see my new moves, Uchiha-teme!_


	6. Sasuke and Sakura: Friends or Foes?

**Author's Note:** This chapter is dedicated to Emiya Shirou, the DragonBard, LoveDetermination, Dragon Man 180, Lita of Jupiter, and D2Killerz. Though none of you had any ideas that really caught my interest, I must congratulate you all on the ones that you did post. Please enjoy this chapter!

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 6—Sasuke and Sakura: Friends or Foes_

He sat in the classroom resting his head on his arms on the table, a wide grin on his face as a low chuckle escaped him very few moments. On his forehead was Iruka's headband, which he had spent the almost two hours last cleaning and polishing. He couldn't believe his incredible good luck at _finally_ becoming a genin.

In his mind's eye were the two jutsus that he'd mesmerized from the scroll. Kage Bunshin had been the easiest for him to learn surprisingly. It seemed that his years of studying chakra usage and manipulation had paid off. He learned the kinjutsu in less than half the time it probably could've taken him.

The second kinjutsu was far harder to control because it required so much damn chakra! He could perform it at what could shakily be called the bare minimum of its true capabilities. In fact that was reason that Iruka found him in such exhaustion the other night.

He knew that he'd needed to nearly triple his current chakra potency if he was going to be able to use it effectively and not die of chakra depletion. So, he'd just have to wait to use it. Not that he was in a hurry to show-off what could possibly become his 'hidden ace.'

He was pried from his examinations of his jutsu ace when a familiar voice spoke to him. "What are you doing here, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked. "This class isn't for dropouts. You can only be here if you graduated."

Sitting up, Naruto tapped Iruka's Leaf headband that he wore proudly. He couldn't help but to add a bit of sarcasm to his voice as he answered. "Oh yeah? See this? Open your eyes, Shikamaru, it's a regulation headband."

The Nara boy scrawled at the blonde's attitude. He quickly zoned out as Naruto launched into a speech of how the headband was meant for him. But where Shikamaru hardly heard a word, Hinata was hanging onto every syllable. Her curiosity was starting to eat at her as to how he passed. She had been sure that he had failed once again.

A rather loud commotion from the doorway behind her drew Naruto's attention toward her and Shikamaru used the distraction to escape. It was almost painfully easy to determine who the girls were behind her, even without using her Byakugan. Ino and Sakura. It was especially easy to guess from the way Naruto's face started to redden.

Since she was more concerned with watching Naruto, she could've sworn that he was actually looking at _her_. This thought brought a small blush to her face, it deepened slightly when she saw Naruto's blush get deeper. Was he actually looking at her?

That question seemed to be answered when his face suddenly started moving, following Sakura's movements. He stood up and waved to her, calling a happy greeting. Her response?

"Move it!" she snarled, knocking him aside. She did this so she could stand close to Sasuke as she asked in what she thought was a sweet and endearing voice. "Good morning, Sasuke…do mind if I…sit next to you?"

The Uchiha heir only spared her a glance before he returned to his brooding. It was like this every morning, this routine. If it wasn't Sakura or Ino, then it was some other kunoichi wannabe. He was getting quite sickened of the repetitious behavior these girls exhibited. So he becoming a genin was an even bigger relief than he wanted to admit.

Getting up with a glare, Naruto worked his way around the gathered and arguing kunoichi. With a small hop, he was landed on Sasuke's desk and squatted down. He glared at his rival, trying to see what was so special about him that made most of the girls turn into such bitches. To his eyes, all Sasuke was and would ever be was pretty boy who looked more like a girl than a shinobi.

"Naruto!" Sakura snapped. "Hey, stop glaring at Sasuke!"

The blonde spared the pink-haired girl a small, hurt glance. Then he promptly returned to glaring and scrutinizing the Uchiha. Sasuke returned the glare full force, making a mental note to beat the crap out of the blonde later.

This glaring contest turned out to be a big mistake on both their parts as another genin-hopeful accidentally bumped into Naruto. The bump, however soft, was more than enough to send the blonde face first into Sasuke's face. Though it lasted scarcely a nanosecond, that unintentional and utterly disgusting kiss was forever burned into the minds the gathered girls.

Neither boy noticed the darkening expressions of the incredibly angry and jealous kunoichi as they broke apart and immediately started to gag like they'd been poisoned. It was only when a wave of killing desire washed over him that Naruto felt it. _Danger!_

"Naruto," Sakura said in deceptively calm voice, speaking for the girls behind and beside her. "You are _so_ dead."

**

* * *

**"Most promising, young student, Uchiha Sasuke," a Jounin said quietly. Gazing into the Hokage's crystal at the brooding youth, he asked, "Is that him?" 

"Yes," the Sandaime confirmed.

"He's the only survivor of the Uchiha clan," muttered Kurenai, the newest and only female Jounin of the gathered shinobi.

She was looking for a familiar Hyuuga girl, Hinata. It had been a few years since she'd last seen the girl, having to escort her to the academy when she was younger. Though she personally didn't appreciate the kind of attention that her father gave her, she could fully understand his need for precaution; especially after that Kumogakure incident almost ten years earlier. So she felt it her duty to continue watching over her and she all but demanded that the Hyuuga be placed on her team.

"That's right," Sandaime confirmed again as he sent the crystal ball into zoom in on the other students as well. It was a practice that was started with the Shodai Hokage; showing the Jounin instructors the genin-hopefuls through the crystal so they'd have some idea as to what their possible students looked like.

As it came upon the group of gathered and bickering kunoichi, all the Jounin noticed one hot-headed blonde make his way over to the Uchiha. A silver-haired Jounin watched the pair's confrontation with interest since he already knew that they were on his team.

_A rivalry between the best in the class and the worst in class_, he realized instantly, _not exactly original_. With an unnoticed sigh, he suppressed the memories of his long-past teammate. They had been rivals, but ultimately friends in the end. He found himself not exactly looking forward to interacting with this group as he could already tell that they'd stir up a lot of unwanted memories.

"As usual," Sandaime said, more to himself than the others. He sighed in resignation as he watched the kunoichi beat on a thoroughly terrified blonde. "Naruto's right in the middle of some kind of trouble."

"Hokage-sama," said one of the Jounin. "Is it really wise to let that…boy become a shinobi?"

"What could be wrong with it?" Sandaime asked, feeling a slight headache approaching. He knew that this was coming. It pained him to know that even a Jounin couldn't tell the difference between Naruto and Kyuubi. "He has shown exceptional skills, as I'm sure you've heard of his victory over Mizuki. And it remains up to his Jounin instructor to pass him or not."

The Jounin nodded, accepting the silent order to drop the subject.

**

* * *

**"A three-man squad?" this was the collective thought of various genin-hopefuls throughout the room. 

As whispers erupted around the room, many guessing as to who would be pair with who, Ino smirked. It was destiny that she'd be placed with her Sasuke-kun, they were meant for each other. It didn't matter who their third teammate was as long as she could be with Sasuke, preferably _alone_.

"Well, someone's gotta be in Sasuke's group," she said down to Sakura who sat a row beneath her, between a still-brooding Sasuke and a severely bruised Naruto. "I wonder who?" she left the sentence hanging.

"I don't know," Sakura said simply, almost nonchalantly. Glancing back at her once best friend and current rival, she felt her 'Inner Sakura' flare up. "**_DUH!_ I'm gonna be with Sasuke, so _stay away from him_, you hag!**"

_I wanna be with_…_well…_ Naruto was having a hard time deciding who he wanted his third teammate to be, since he already knew who he wanted to be with. _Well, I don't care, as long as it's not Sasuke-teme!_

Grunting in disgust at this unfortunate discovery, Sasuke had only one thought on his mind. _Groups of three? That'd only slow me down_.

As Iruka began announcing the teams, the class was strangely silent. That is until the kids whose names were already been called started talking amongst each other. But that changed with the arrival of…

"Team Seven: Uzumaki Naruto…" Naruto lifted his head at the sound of his name. "Haruno Sakura…" After a second's pause, Naruto let out a loud victory cry as Sakura's face fell in depression. "…and Uchiha Sasuke." In a flash, the blonde and pink-haired teammates' positions were switched: Sakura giving out a victorious yelp and Naruto's face fell as deep depression set in.

_I won't be with Naruto-kun then_, was Hinata's saddened realization. She couldn't help but stare at his drooping head, feeling an urge to rush down there to comfort him. But she couldn't do that; he'd think she was probably some stalker or something.

"Now, Team Eight: Hyuuga Hinata…" She returned her attention to Iruka and quietly acknowledged her fate. "…Inuzuka Kiba" The said boy chuckled at finally being called, more than happy at being paired with his beloved Hinata-chan. "…and Aburame Shino." The said boy merely adjusted his sunglasses.

Turning back to Ino, Sakura chucked deviously as she shot her rival a victory-v. Her smirk was large and promised to grow in size at the blonde's disbelief and anger.

"How did _you_ get in his group?" she could barely stop herself from yelling that question.

Sakura didn't answer, but Inner Sakura was cheering, "**Cha-ching! True love conquers all!**"

As Ino was growling and trying to restrain herself from wringing the pink-haired girl's neck, a familiar voice drawled out next to her. "I don't get it," Shikamaru said. "What do you see in a guy like that? He's not so special."

Looking at him in exasperation, she said the first thing that came to her mind. "You are so beyond clueless, Shikamaru. Don't you get it?"

Glancing at her with a slightly jealous and annoyed look, he stated the obvious, "No, I _don't_ get it because I'm not a _girl_."

Seeing the jealousy in his gaze and voice, Ino sighed. A small smirk pulled at her lips at the thought that Shikamaru would be jealous over Sasuke having her attentions than him. Like he thought that she was better off with him than the aloof and mysterious Uchiha.

"You are so full of yourself," she muttered, leaning her cheek into her palm. "Jealousy is a terrible thing. I'd hate to be on your team."

It was at this time that Iruka's voice caught their attention again with the sounds of their names. "Team Ten: Yamanaka Ino…Nara Shikamaru…and Akimichi Choji."

Surprised and slightly anger at this revelation, Ino stared at Iruka. Next to her, Shikamaru couldn't help but chuckle as he threw her words back at her. "Didn't you say something about 'hating to be on my team'?"

"Those are all the squads," their sensei said.

He'd been holding it since the declaration of Team Seven, only out of respect for the remaining teams that needed to be announced. Now that he was done, Naruto felt it was time to change his team or to at least get his questions answered.

"Iruka-sensei!" he called, standing up in the process and pointing accusingly at Sasuke. "Why does a great shinobi like me have to be in the same group as a slug like Sasuke?"

Naruto pointedly ignored Sakura's dangerous glare at insinuating that her Sasuke-kun was weaker than him. No, he was far more concerned with getting his answer. It seemed that Iruka had been expecting this question so it only took half a second to answer.

"Sasuke had the best overall scores of all the graduating students," placing his arms on his hips he continued, "Naruto, you had the worst scores." This brought a series of chuckles and laughter from the other genin-hopefuls. Ignoring them, Iruka continued, "To create a balanced group, we put the best student with the worst student."

If Naruto had a reply for that, he didn't get to voice it as Sasuke spoke up for the first time that day. "Just make sure you don't get in my way, baka," he didn't degrade himself to look at the dobe.

Forgetting about ordering Iruka to switch him with someone else, he turned to Sasuke with an angry yell. "Hey? What did you say?" There was no way that self-centered Uchiha said that _he'd_ get in _his_ way!

"Hard of hearing?" Sasuke asked, indifferent to Naruto's anger. This brought another wave of laughter from the class.

"Sit down, Naruto!" Sakura snapped, sick him pestering Sasuke and interrupting her time with him.

Clearing throat loudly, Iruka dismissed the class until after lunch. He watched as the members of the new Team Seven quickly exited the room, led by Sasuke with Sakura trailing him closely, followed by Naruto. Iruka couldn't help but think forlorn thoughts.

_If these first few hours are any indication of the team's future, it isn't looking too good at the moment._

**

* * *

**"Sasuke, where are you?" Sakura called out, in what she thought was a sweet and innocent voice. She felt a little hurt that he left as soon as they were dismissed. Didn't he want to spend time with her now that they on the same team? Lunch together would've been a great starting point. Right? 

As these thoughts were going through her mind she heard a voice that she made her cringe. Oh, how she hated that dobe's very existence!

"Hey, Sakura?" he called cheerfully as he walked up to her. "I was thinking that since we're on the same team, we'd could have lunch together and get to know each other better."

It was one thing to be followed; it was another that her follower had just mirrored her thoughts. The fact that it was Naruto who was following her had any kind of sweet notions she had turn sour instantly.

"Why would I have lunch with _you_?" she demanded accusingly. "How could that thought even cross your mind?"

If her tone had hurt his feelings, she didn't see it through his expert mask. The fact that she could only see his irritating face still in a smile tickled the anger she'd been harboring all morning.

"But we're in the same group and I just thought—"

"Naruto," she interrupted with a dangerous tone of voice and deadly glare. "You're annoying."

Glaring at him for only another moment, she turned and brought her hands up. Calling out in her 'sweet and innocent' voice again, she tried to adopt a similar look on her face. "Sasuke? Where are you?"

He had half a mind to go after her and try to ask her to have lunch again. But she'd just called him annoying, like he was nothing but a pest or a bug that she'd so much rather squash but couldn't seem to catch. Though he didn't show it, she had hurt his feelings.

Later, he sat up on one of the academy's roofs, sulking. He had finally gotten to become a genin and what happens? Sasuke-teme's on the same team! Not only that but with his true skills safely hidden and his refusal to show them yet, he couldn't do anything more than play the part that he created years ago.

"There's got to be a way to deal with," he grumbled.

Then a blue shirt by an open window attracted his attention. It was the teme, eating his rice ball lunch. The bastard thought he was so cool because he didn't hide his skills and everyone else respected them. If only he could be dropped down a few notches, no a few dozen notches, then he might be a bit more bearable of a teammate.

Then inspiration struck him.

"Got it!" he said as a devious grin crossed his face.

**

* * *

**"Alright," Ino said, in a foul mood. "If we're in the same team, then you've got to follow my lead. That's the only way it'll work." 

Chewing absentmindedly on his rice ball, Shikamaru muttered out an annoyed acknowledgement. They sat together out on one of the balconies near the roof. It had a pretty good view of the village, which was why Shikamaru and Choji liked it so much.

Ino had taken it upon herself to follow them and instill a 'leadership' role among tem. Not that he'd raise a finger against her leadership as long as it wasn't a clear mistake. It was still going to be annoying as hell because the blonde was such a control-freak.

A small movement on the academy wall beneath them a fair ways drew his attention. If it weren't for the familiar blonde hair, he would've had a tough time identifying it as Naruto. Not when he wore a gray uniform similar to what chuunin and jounin wore.

"Naruto," Shikamaru said quietly, identifying the blonde.

This statement drew Ino's attention. They watched as the blonde snuck across the wall, silent as a shadow. The blonde seemed to be heading for the open window where Sasuke stood. Shikamaru had to admit to himself that if it weren't for the blonde's hair, he probably wouldn't have noticed him; especially with the clothes he wore seemed to blend into the academy wall.

The pair watched as Naruto suddenly and silently hopped through the window, startling the Uchiha. The movement jarred the window's support strut and it closed behind the blonde. Their faintly heard Sasuke's warning growl and Naruto's 'pipe down!'

"Naruto," Ino said angrily. "If you so much as scratch him, you're on my 'enemy list' forever!"

Shikamaru spared her another exasperated glance as the sound of severe beating erupted from behind the closed window. They waited impatiently to see what happened. Then, almost as soon as it started, Sasuke opened the window and hopped out.

He smirked as he stood and walked away. Shikamaru was a little disappointed; he was sure that Naruto would've put up more of a fight. Especially when it seemed that he was training himself outside of school. Maybe he just wasn't as talented as Shikamaru gave him credit for?

"He beat Naruto without even breaking a sweat," he muttered to himself.

"What did you expect?" Ino asked. She was quite proud of her dear Sasuke. It slightly surprised Shikamaru that he'd spoken out loud without realizing it. "Naruto against my boy Sasuke? No contest."

As he continued to watch Sasuke walk away, he suddenly felt something out of place. Why would Sasuke walk away on the roof? Surely, he could've just taken the stairs, right? And where was Naruto? He knew that the blonde seemed more resilient than anyone else. So shouldn't he be up and around by now?

That's when it struck him. The 'Sasuke' walking away on the roof wasn't really Sasuke! It was Naruto! A slight smirk crossed his face at this realization. So he hadn't underestimated the dobe after all.

**

* * *

**It had taken him surprisingly longer than he thought it would take. But he didn't finally get himself untied from the unbelievably tight knots that the dobe restrained him with. 

How could that baka possibly perform the Kage Bunshin while utilizing the Kawarimi and some other jutsu he'd never seen before? What happened to the dobe who couldn't even perform a simple bunshin? What was that strange technique he used?

Just after Naruto had used the Kawarimi and the kage bunshins were going to attack, all of the Naruto had formed the tora seal and blew out a dense cloud of smoke. It was then easy pickings for the blondes to tackle and tie him down.

Where did that dobe learn such a strange jutsu? If the tora seal was required, then it must've been some fire jutsu. But the Uchiha clan specialized in katon jutsu and he'd realized he'd never seen a smokescreen used in the clan before it was destroyed. Did the dobe create that jutsu? He just couldn't imagine the baka being able to do that. Yet there was no other explanation.

After confronting a badly blushing and rambling Sakura, he walked back to the classroom since the lunch break was close to being over. When a door was thrown open ahead of him, he saw the blonde boy rushing out, once again dressed in his orange jumpsuit.

Yelping in surprise, he skidded to a stop a few feet away from Sasuke. Crouching down, as if believing that Sasuke would suddenly attack, which he was seriously considering, the boy demanded, "Sasuke, what are you doing here? How did you get loose?"

"I used the escape jutsu," he said, smirking at the blonde's angry expression. He decided to provoke the boy's anger, since he decided to vent his own anger. "Nothing to it; it's a very basic technique…Why did you do that, henge into me?"

Glaring at the Uchiha, he growled out, "I thought it would be fun to try out my jutsus on you, so I did!"

He formed a familiar cross seal and in a poof of smoke, five Narutos were in the air and diving for him while forming the tora seal. Grunting in aggravation, he made his annoyance known. "The same jutsu again?"

"Last time I went easy on you," one Naruto snapped. "This time you're going down for the count! Get ready, Sasuke!"

Then five loud groans from the blondes' stomachs roared through the hallway. The boys dropped unceremoniously to the ground, each clutching his stomach while grunting, groaning, and yelling about it. Then they turned and ran for the restroom that was behind them. With five blondes trying to force their way through the single doorway at once, a bottleneck was formed and they immediately started shoving and pushing each other to get inside as quickly as they could.

"What a loser," Sasuke muttered as he turned around and took the long way back to the classroom.

**

* * *

****Author's Note**: Hahaha! Oh man, I've must say that that last scene with Sasuke and Naruto is always one of my more favorites. The anime did a great job on that scene, I think. 

I'm sure many of you have now figured out how things are going to happen in the next coming chapters. But-but-but-but! I plan to change a few things, whether small or large remains to be seen. But rest assured that you will be seeing a slightly different fight scene between Naruto and Kakashi. I won't say any more on it, just guess!


	7. Kakashi Sensei

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 7—Kakashi-sensei_

The first impressions went as smoothly as scraping sandpaper across butter. But thanks to each of the kids' reactions to one another, he got a clear estimate on what they thought of one another.

**

* * *

**_"He's late," Naruto whined as the second hour passed. He had his head stuck out through the door, continuously glancing down the hallway impatiently. Sasuke and Sakura, though their pride would never although them to admit it, both were silently complaining and agreeing with the blonde._

_"Naruto, just sit down," Sakura said, quite bored._

_"I don't want to," he said, turning back inside the room._

_Sasuke ignored the blonde's ranting and wandered yet again how it could've happened. He was best student in class and Naruto was the worst. The outcome should've been obvious. But where the dobe couldn't even do a simple bunshin only two days ago, he now knew how to do the kinjutsu _Kage _Bunshin. It just didn't make sense to him. How could the dobe not be able to perform the Bunshin at all, yet pull several kage bunshins out of his ass without dropping from chakra depletion?_

_His silent musings were cut short as Naruto grabbed an eraser and chair toward the doorway. Wedging the eraser between the door frame and the door, the blonde's chuckles sounded a tab bit like an evil crackle._

_"Hey, what are you doing?" Sakura demanded, moving closer for a better view._

_"That's what he gets for coming late," Naruto announced proudly. Hopping off the chair, he let out a triumphant yell of "Surprise!" and quickly placed the chair back in its original spot._

_"You're asking for trouble," Sakura said, very much like a goody-goody. "You know you shouldn't do that."_

_That's what she said to Naruto, but inside it was a totally different story. Her inner and aggressive side was cringing with anticipation. "_**_I_ LOVE _STUFF LIKE THIS!_**_"_

_Though he really didn't care, Sasuke felt he should state the obvious to his oblivious teammate. "Our sensei is a jounin, an elite shinobi. Do you really think that he'll fall for that?"_

_"Yeah," Sakura said, agreeing with her crush instantly. "You're so clueless, Naruto."_

_At that moment, the door slid open…and the eraser landed solidly on the clump of silver hair. There was a second of total silence as the four of them realized what had happened. Then, all hell broke loose._

_The next instant Naruto's loud laughter erupted with a victory cheer. "I got him! He totally fell for it! Hehehehehehe!"_

_"Gomen, sensei!" Sakura said trying to appear innocent and thoroughly embarrassed for him. "I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen. I'd never do something like that!"_

_"**PERFECT SHOT!**" Inner Sakura cheered, giving Naruto two thumbs-up._

_Even Sasuke was found himself questioning the man's ability._

_Picking up the eraser, the man stared at it for moment before entering a thinking pose. Then, more to himself than the genin team, he said, "My first impression of this group…you're a bunch of idiots."_

**

* * *

**The pink-haired girl was obviously openly smitten with the last Uchiha. She clearly held him in the highest regard, and would probably support him whether he was right or wrong on any issue. Yet, at the same time, she seemed to have inherited the village's disgust of her blonde teammate. Though it seemed that her disgust was directed more toward him being a clueless idiot than what the village hated him for. 

The Uchiha was aloof and quiet. He didn't seem to care what happened around him or his new teammates, or what anyone thought of him. His focus, as Kakashi had guessed long ago, was entirely on killing his older brother. Of course, he did seem to be unusually aggressive to the blonde, like he was taking their unofficial rivalry seriously despite him having the clear advantage. Almost like a sibling rivalry.

The blonde seemed unusually easy to decipher at a first glance. He wore a happy-go-lucky grin at all times, had a crush on Sakura, and seemed to take his rivalry with Sasuke just as 'seriously.' Yet, as he introduced himself, Kakashi felt something was out of place; this perspective was largely thanks to years of seeing 'underneath the underneath.'

Sure, what the blonde was saying was no doubt true, but it seemed like he was either withholding information or playing a role like an actor. This second assumption of his only increased when Sakura declared her disgust of him; it had taken him nearly a second to react, like he was taking in the information, processing it, then remembering how he needed to act or react.

Deciding to put off openly asking the blonde right then and there, after all the answers would come eventually right, Kakashi had explained to them the 'survival exercise' they'd be having. No matter how many genin teams he'd explained this part to; he'd never get over the hilarity of their reactions.

It was now nine in the morning. Kakashi was hidden in the tree cover near the training field his genin team was to report to. He'd been there from the start, watching them as they arrived. Okay, maybe he wasn't _watching_ them exactly but reading his newest volume of Icha Icha Paradise.

Besides, it certainly was fun to be terminally late all the time, like Obito always was. After years of copying his dead teammate, Kakashi could finally proclaim with heartfelt honesty that it was very fun to be late and make horrible excuses. Especially the way it always, without fail, irritated everyone around him.

Glancing at the sun and deciding that he was sufficiently late, he replaced the book back into his pouch. With a poof of smoke, he appeared on the field near his waiting team.

"Yo," he called, with a raised hand.

"YOU'RE LATE!" two angry genin yelled at him while the third glared.

"Well, a black cat crossed my path," Kakashi said, not bothering trying to hide his smile. Oh, he loved this part. "So I had to take the long way."

All the kids just glared at him, instantly seeing through the lie. Naruto and Sakura growled dangerously at him, just itching to beat him into pulp. Oh, he loved his job!

**

* * *

**_Shinobi must be able to conceal their movements and hide effectively_. That was one of the most ingrained teachings of the academy into their students. That class was covered more thoroughly than the class of learning to throw kunai or shuriken. After a week long training session, the academy students were given the task of sneaking from one side of Konoha to the other without being caught by the shinobi planted in among the ranks of the civilians. Many students were _eventually_ caught because they grew careless or reckless. 

But not Sakura or Sasuke. They now demonstrated how well they'd been taught as they followed Kakashi as he moved to a new clearing by a river. While he could easily detect their chakra levels, he couldn't see them at all. They had indeed been _very_ well trained.

Too bad Naruto didn't seem to be in the mind frame of hiding. He appeared in front of Kakashi in a blur and stood proudly on the other end of the field. He had his arms crossed over his chest in what he obviously thought of as his 'cool' pose.

"You and me, right now, fair and square!" the blonde yelled out. "Let's go!"

Kakashi threw him an exasperated look. His opinion on the blonde's behavior was summed up perfectly by Sasuke's muttered comment. "Fool."

"You know?" Kakashi said. "Compared to the others, you're a little weird."

Huffing arrogantly, Naruto snapped, "Oh yeah? The only thing weird here is your haircut."

With that being said, he rushed at the man. Lazily reaching into his bag, Kakashi sighed. This was going to be boring, he was sure. So he might as well do something worthwhile with his time.

Seeing his sensei reaching into his pouch had the blonde stop dead in his tracks, giving the man a suspicious gaze. This look intensified as it became clear he had grabbed something.

"Shinobi Battle Tactics: Part One," Kakashi said, sounding like a textbook. "Taijutsu, the physical part."

_Taijutsu...? Then why's he reaching for a weapon?_ Naruto wondered as he prepared to snatch a kunai to defend him. But he wasn't prepared for what his sensei finally pulled out…a book?

"What the?" was Naruto's ever-so intelligent remark.

"What are you waiting for?" Kakashi said as he started reading, ignoring the blonde. "Make a move."

Stuttering slightly as he tried to sum up his thoughts, Naruto found he recognized that book that Kakashi was reading. It was Icha Icha Paradise, a perverted adult book. The fact that his sensei was openly reading it in front of them confounded him slightly. Finally he managed to get out, "Why are you reading that book?"

"Why?" the silver haired man repeated. "To find out what happens in the story, of course…Don't let it bother you. With your weak attacks, it really wouldn't matter if I were reading or…whatever."

_That_ struck a nerve.

Kakashi-sensei didn't respect him huh? Well he'd just have to _make_ him respect him; _especially_ when he was going to become Hokage in a few years! The anger at being immediately being labeled as 'weak' before his sensei even took a single punch from him really pissed him off. Far more than Sasuke could've hoped to, that was for sure.

"_I'M GONNA CRUSH YOU!_" he screamed as he charged forward and leapt. Despite throwing a punch with all his might, he was stopped cold by Kakashi's hand. What really ticked him off was the fact that he didn't even look up from his book!

Landing lightly, he was quick to jump up and throw a powerful kick at his sensei's waist. The jounin merely crouched down swiftly and the kicked sailed over his head, barely touching his hair. And he _still_ didn't look up!

Backing up, Naruto crouch down for a second and formed the tori handseal. Nothing appeared to have happened until he rushed forward again, this time his image was hazy. Out of the corner of his eye all Kakashi saw was an orange haze quickly approaching him.

From their hiding places, Sakura and Sasuke stared in surprise at this. What was it that the baka had just done? They'd been far from impressed when the fight initially started, now they were quite interested. Sakura, from her vantage point, had been the only one to see the handseal that Naruto formed so she knew _why_ his body was hazy. But how could he do that? She didn't know of any jutsus that could do that!

"Now you're mine!" Naruto yelled as his fist closed in on Kakashi. But that was a mistake.

Using his voice as a means of figuring his exact location, Kakashi darted around behind him. He got a small grin on his face as he formed the tora seal. He had to suppress a chuckle as Naruto stopped dead and stared at the spot where he used to be.

"Don't let your enemy get behind you all the time," Kakashi said quietly.

Recognizing the danger of the tora seal, Sakura threw stealth to the winds as she yelled out, "Naruto! Get out of there! Quick! He's going to destroy you!"

Looking over the direction that he'd heard her voice, he heard another voice directly behind him, "Too late."

All the blonde could do was glance back in time to see Kakashi bringing the tora seal up and thrusting it up his butt. "Konohagakure Furui Taijutsu no Ougi: Sennen Goroshi!"

With a burst of chakra and Naruto's own natural reflex, the blonde was sent flying through the air with an undignified scream of pain and embarrassment. This 'jutsu' had Sakura and Sasuke staring at Kakashi with disgust as they realized the 'handseal' wasn't even a handseal. The man merely returned to reading his book.

Then a pair of shuriken erupted from the water and raced at Kakashi. As the man made to catch the weapons, they suddenly exploded and were replaced by a pair of kage bunshins.

Glancing up in surprise, Kakashi was rewarded with a fist in the face and another in the gut. But before the bunshins could do more damage, he swept his leg up and around and crushed them. Walking over to the river as a blonde head surfaced, he absently rubbed his aching jaw. That had _actually_ hurt!

Sputtering as he climbed onto shore, Naruto glared up his sensei. But that glare died as he saw him rubbing his jaw. Standing up weakly, he grinned viciously. "_That_ was for nailing me the butt!"

"You're looking awfully confident for someone can barely stand," Kakashi observed. "I suppose using Kage Bunshin drains your reserves much quicker than I thought."

"What do you _expect_ when I'm _starving to death_, baka-sensei!" he yelled. "But that's not going to stop me…because I'm going to be _Hokage_ one day, _believe it_!"

Then six more orange blurs leapt out of the river and shouted at the same time, emphasizing the point, "_I will become a shinobi!_"

The fact that the blonde was using the same jutsu saddened Kakashi somewhat. He'd always been hearing of how the blonde was an ingenious prankster. But it didn't seem like that part of him carried over into his shinobi skills. Still, genin or not, he was forced to put his book back in his bag with a defeated sigh since he would likely need both hands.

"You can't beat me with this jutsu, Naruto," he said as the seven blondes charged him.

Then something happened that truly caught him by surprise. Something jumped onto him from behind! Glancing back he caught sight a clump of blonde hair. _An eight clone?_ Then six others grabbed onto his legs as he was distracted by the Naruto on his back.

"Didn't you say 'don't let your enemy get behind you'?" the blondes' asked as he watched the final Naruto jump high into the air. "Good advice, sensei!"

"Get ready to see my best creations!" the Naruto in the air yelled as all of them formed the tora seal.

_What was going on?_ Kakashi wondered. _No way that they can use a fire jutsu, even a low level one, when they so close!_ But he watched in surprise as all the Narutos took a huge breath of air. _Okay…maybe he will…_

Just as he was ready to use the kawarimi jutsu, he saw the Naruto exhale…a cloud of smoke? The smoke wasn't toxic but he couldn't see anything. Not even when something hit him hard in the stomach. Utilizing his superior strength, Kakashi broke free of the bunshins and leapt high and far from the smokescreen.

"Gotcha!" three voices yelled from around him. The three Naruto's were converging on him and since he was suspended in the air, he couldn't necessarily react to dodge them. So he did the only thing he could do.

Kawarimi no Jutsu.

From his new vantage point in a tree, he watched as the three Naruto destroyed the clone he'd switched with. Dropping to the ground, the Naruto looked amongst one another and then silently the bunshin disappeared.

"KUSO!" Naruto yelled to the sky, trying to vent his frustration.

_So the prankster has a temper problem?_ This thought brought a smirk to the jounin's face as a devious idea came to him. Using his incredible speed, he quickly set up a double layered snare trap using one of the bells as bait.

The gleam of the bell caught the blonde's attention easily. Kakashi's smirk grew as he watched the blonde jump to conclusions and run for the bell. But just as he was about to trip the first trap, the blonde hesitated for a second. Then he merely placed his foot three inches to left of where it would've landed and snatched up the bell.

This surprised Kakashi; the blonde had seen the double layered trap!

"Nice try, baka-sensei!" Naruto called out, looking directly at him despite him being hidden. "But you can't prank the Prank Master!"

Stepping out from behind the tree and the genjutsu, Kakashi looked quizzically at him. He had seriously underestimated this dobe, this boy. That didn't happen often to him. But just because of his own error, he couldn't simply pass the blonde. Not when that was not the point of the exercise.

"Very true, Naruto," Kakashi said. "I'll remember that next time."

"I'll keep this, Kakashi-sensei!" The blonde closed his eyes as his foxy grin grew very large. He held up the bell victoriously. But it was this instant that was all the former ANBU needed.

"Keep what?" the jounin asked, curiously.

"The bell," the blonde said as he looked at...where it used to be. "Huh? The bell!"

"What? You mean this bell?" Kakashi asked as he held up the item with same victorious gesture that Naruto had used.

The blonde stared up at it, quite surprised. But that surprise was slaughtered as anger boiled over. "That's not fair, sensei!" he screamed. "I got that bell fair and square! Now give it back!"

"No, Naruto," Kakashi said with a finality in his voice. "You have to _take_ the bell from me. Not pick it up off the ground after a failed trap."

"FINE!" Naruto yelled as he rushed forward. "THEN I'LL _TAKE_ IT FROM YOU _AGAIN!_"

With one punch, the blonde was sent flying across the field. He hit a tree and slumped to ground, apparently unconscious.

_Well, that was certainly a unique experience_, he thought as he replaced the bell with the other and made to pull out his book. However the sound of kunai whizzing through the air, attracted his attention. It could only be the Uchiha.

Sighing in annoyance, he did the kawarimi again. As he caught sight of where the weapons had come from, the jounin couldn't help but wonder. _Do the rest of this genin team would have as unique and surprising abilities as Naruto?_**

* * *

**

**Author's Note:** Huh, I suppose a lot of you guys don't appreciate my using the series as a backbone do you? Even if you don't want to admit it, I'm sure that's how you feel. I promise that I am (and continue will) try to stay as original as possible while staying close to the series. However, in my defense, the story isn't really suppose to be all that different from the series until the Wave Country arc. Things are finally going to start changing from the series.

So, on another note, how did you like the fight scene? I've always wondered on how Kakashi would react if he'd underestimated Naruto in such a fashion this early into the series. What do you think? I hope that I've kept him in character but I really don't know what kind of character he really is. I mean, he's always struck me as an aloof fellow like Sasuke but far more 'warm' than that icecube. Any pointers you people have on his personality would be very much appreciated.


	8. Underneath the Underneath

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 8—Underneath the Underneath_

It wasn't the splitting headache that awoke him; no, it was the loud growling of his stomach. Stirring, Naruto cradled both his head and stomach as he sat up. Glancing around, he saw that he was in a wooded area, probably a training field. What was he doing here again?

Brushing his hand against his headband, Naruto remembered in an instant. Standing up, he looked around for the jounin but the man was no where to be seen. _Sensei I swear you're going to regret that! When this is over, I'll kick your ass across the Hokage Monument!_

As much as he wanted to entertain that comforting thought, his more rational side shook it off. Sighing, he sat down cross-legged and tried to think. Closing his eyes, he replayed his fight with the man in his mind. He spotted one serious mistake on his part instantly. It was so basic he couldn't believe he let it happen!

He let sensei get him _mad!_

While he had no animosity toward the man, there was something about his attitude that just rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was that subtle 'I'm better than you are' attitude which reminded him of Sasuke, or how he automatically looked down on him despite his infamous reputation at being a master prankster. Whatever the reason, Kakashi-sensei was able to stir up his foul temper quite easily.

Then he realized something that he hadn't before. The jounin instructor had immediately labeled him as weak because he couldn't see through or maybe didn't even notice Naruto's façade! This thought before a devious chuckle from him. But it died soon enough as he realized that he'd slipped with façade. By him showing just about how good he was with using his head and different jutsu combinations, the jounin must be slightly suspicious of him now.

And because of his anger, Naruto had attacked in a blind rage. Not even realizing that he'd lost a vital advantage early on when using his Oboro no Jutsu; by yelled out loud it made it easier for the baka-sensei to determine his location. That was probably the reason the man had been able to dodge that punch so perfectly.

The 'jutsu' that Kakashi used on him struck him as about as embarrassing and 'useless' as Iruka often called his Oiroke no Jutsu. He'd have to think about that one later to see if he could maybe utilize its basic concept.

It was only when he was launched into the river that his anger got smoldered enough for him to think rationally. The rest of the fight went more or less how he'd have expected it to go, except that he was a bit slower thanks to the weight of the water that drenched his clothing. Despite the fact that he'd hoped to snatch a bell after he'd landed another hit on Kakashi, he wasn't too surprised when the man broke free just as he was reaching for them. Now if Naruto had been dry, there was probably a good chance he'd be holding the bells right now.

Now Kakashi using one of his own clones as a replacement was just pure genius. A foxy grin broke across his face as he imagined how useful this idea could be in the future. From now on, whenever he used Kage Bushin he'd be ready to mimic that replacement if need be.

_But how do I get a bell?_ He wondered. _Kakashi was obviously stronger, faster, and more experienced than I am. I bet those early blows I got in on him were just because he underestimated me. He won't make that mistake again, I'm sure…I guess I could set up some traps, but even if I used kage bushins I'm sure he'd still evade them._

Just puzzling over this riddle was making his already aching head spin in pain. Damn, why did that one-eyed teme have to hit him so hard!

_I wonder how Sakura-chan and Sasuke-teme are doing, _he absentmindedly wonderedThen an idea hit him._ If I could get Sakura-chan and the teme to help me, I might be able to get a bell! Sasuke's very good at taijutsu and Sakura is at genjutsu. Maybe I could swarm Kakashi with clones, then use Enmaku no Jutsu so he won't be able to see. While we keep him busy, Sakura could hide under a genjutsu and steal the bells! Yeah, that should work!_

Stretching out his senses, he felt the other members of his team close by. He got up and sprinted for them. The scene that greeted him wasn't what he expected. But it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. Just how did Sasuke get to be only a head above ground?

He tried to hold it in. In all true and pure honesty, he did try to hold it. But in the end, he couldn't. Naruto exploded with uncontrollable laughter.

Sakura, having just spotted him, was having a hysterical fit and was yelling something about her crush only being a head and talking. Having just recovered from a very traumatizing genjutsu, she wasn't ready to encounter something like this so soon.

She had been only seconds away from fainting when she heard one of the many things she hated most in the world. Naruto was laughing. Instantly forgetting her melodrama, she turned in the general direction of the sound and spotted him up on a tree branch nearby.

He was holding his sides, eyes closed with tears of pure mirth falling out. Because he wasn't focused on his balance, he slipped and fell. If he even felt any pain upon landing, he didn't notice as he continued.

"That's the funniest thing I've ever seen!" he yelled out to the world. "Sasuke's totally soiled! Hahahaha!"

Sasuke tried valiantly not to ignore the blonde idiot as he wriggled and tried to free himself. Painstakingly slowly, he could feel himself coming loose. He made a mental note to beat the blonde to pulp later.

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sakura yelled instantly. "It's not Sasuke's fault! Kakashi-sensei did it to him!"

But the blonde, for once, completed ignored the pink-haired kunoichi. He lay on his back, kicking the ground as he futilely tried to vent his pent-up amusement while trying to burn the image into his memories permanently.

Then the sound of an alarm going off attracted all their attentions. Then realization descended upon them, not a single one of them got a bell!

"Oh, Sakura?" a familiar voice called sweetly from the tree cover. Looking up, the genins spotted their jounin instructor leaning on a tree trunk. He had what could only be considered as evil gleam in his eye as he gazed at the girl.

"H-hai, sensei?" she answered, suddenly realizing that she was in trouble.

"Did you try to get a bell?" he asked nonchalantly.

Sakura stared at him; she was indeed in _very_ big trouble. "N-no, sensei…"

"You know what that means?"

"Not the post, sensei!"

His only reply was what they'd come to call his 'smiling eye.' Seeing that simple gesture, Sakura let out a terrified shriek as she turned and tried to run as far and as fast as she could away from him. All she managed to do was run _into_ him as he suddenly appeared in front her.

**

* * *

**Kakashi had been more than a little disappointed and saddened as he explained the concept of the 'survival exercise' to the genin from his rather comfortable perch on Sasuke's back. He'd been so sure that they'd be the team he'd pass, especially with Naruto's and Sasuke's surprising levels of skill. If they'd tried to work together to get the bells, he felt sure that they'd have gotten at least one bell. 

Whenever Kakashi had a team that he was supposed to pass and instruct, he used this training field. This was because it had the perfect example as to what happens when a team doesn't use teamwork. The memorial stone was as saddening today as it had always been. Of course because of how he'd worded the description of the heroes on the stone, Naruto misunderstood the meaning. What he said put a small chill down Kakashi's spine.

The blonde wanted his name on the stone that held the names of killed-in-action shinobi. And he said that Kakashi would be the one to carve the name into it, to show that he respected his 'heroism.'

Though he didn't say it, Kakashi was grateful to Sakura for clarifying what he'd said to Naruto. Naruto, who had truly misunderstood his sensei, found his large grin slipping off his face as he lowered his head in shame. The atmosphere around them took a noticeably quieter and sadder feeling to it, out of respect for the fallen shinobi heroes.

Sighing, Kakashi turned back to the genin. They all looked solemn as they gazed upon the stone. Sasuke had quickly returned to their sides. Naruto dropped to the ground in an undignified collapse. Sasuke just kneeled down near Sakura who was tied to the center post.

Perhaps they still had a chance…

"Alright," he had said, drawing their attentions. "I'm going to give you one last chance. But it's going to be much harder this time."

Leaving strict instructions to not feed Sakura for her failure at not even _attempting_ to get a bell, Kakashi had vanished in a poof of smoke. After his brief fight with Naruto, Kakashi had come to a startling conclusion: the boy's sensory skills were very adept to say the least. But because he wasn't sure of the range of the blonde's senses, he needed to tread carefully. So he took the precaution to hide downwind, under a very powerful genjutsu, and suppressing his chakra down to very low levels.

He now watched as the pair ate quietly, trying to ignore the surprisingly loud complaints from Sakura's stomach. _She must not have had dinner last night_, he realized. He sighed quietly. He still couldn't understand females and their obsession with dieting, especially kunoichi.

Naruto nonchalantly was gazing around the clearing, no doubt searching for him. Even from this distance, Kakashi could see the blonde's nose twitch slightly. _Hm, so I was right, he does have incredible sensory abilities_.

Then, almost simultaneously, Sasuke and Naruto held out their bento boxes toward Sakura. All three genin stared at each other in surprise, especially the boys. Before either boy could speak, Sakura said, "I won't eat, even if you force it down my throat."

"Well, that's too bad, Sakura-chan," Naruto said with a devious grin. "Because I don't like these vegetables, but I'm not letting them go to waste or you go hungry!"

"Besides," Sasuke added moodily. "We'll need your help to get the bells and if you're hungry, you'll be weak and hold us back."

Sakura looked truly torn before she submitted. Truth be told, she probably would've cried out in pure ecstasy that her crush was offering her food. But when Naruto jumped in to give her one of his 'gross' vegetables, she almost spit it out into his face. She had wanted Sasuke to feed her, but her stomach let out another complaint so she reluctantly swallowed.

Kakashi smiled at this. _Finally!_

**

* * *

**"ALRIGHT!" Naruto yelled, pumping his fist in the air. "We did it! We passed!" 

"Shut up, Naruto," Sakura growled.

Though she was happy to have passed, her being tied to the post and unable to use Nawanuke no Jutsu to escape the rope, made a fool of because she didn't even try to get a bell, completely outdone by her other teammates' performances, and having to be fed by _Naruto_ had put her into a rather bad mood.

She glared at the oblivious boy as he hopped along ahead them as they walked back to Konoha. Though he was clearly still the idiot that she'd known for most of her life, she couldn't help but grudgingly respect him. He'd shown quite an uncharacteristic amount of inventiveness, strategizing (when he'd gotten serious), and skill with those weird jutsus he'd used.

This thought immediately piqued her interest.

"Naruto!" she called out. As the blonde turned to her, she put on what she hoped would be an innocent smile. The baka had a crush on her right? Maybe she could use that to squeeze the information out of him.

"What?" he asked. She almost didn't notice it but his eyes got a suspicious gleam as he saw her smile.

"Where did you learn those jutsus you used on Kakashi-sensei?" she asked with as much sweetness as she could muster. '**You better talk, dobe, or I'll pulverize you!**' her Inner Sakura screamed, waving a threatening fist at him.

"Huh?" he said, looking at her confused. "Oh? You mean Kage Bushin? Well, I'd like to tell you…but ojisan said I couldn't. Gomen!"

"Why would someone forbid you from telling us?" Sasuke asked, glancing at the blonde.

Naruto just smirked. He knew something that Sasuke didn't! So he instantly chose to add a little salt to wound by saying, "That is a secret, Sasuke-teme!"

"What about those two other ones?" Sakura pressed. She really wanted to know about Kage Bushin in particular, but the blonde seemed dead-set against telling anyone for once. Well, she might as well try to information on the others.

"Others?" Naruto asked, playing dumb. Inside he already was trying to formulate a plan to distract them or make them not inquire on his secrets. After all, Enmaku and Oboro were _his_! "What others?"

"Naruto…" Sakura said, using that tone of voice that always warned him of imminent danger. "What were they?"

"Jutsus, duh!" he said, throwing out an arrogant foxy grin. Two sharp blows to the head later found him on the ground, dazed.

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other in surprise. Sasuke quickly looked away as he crossed his arms. Sakura felt as if destiny had finally stepped in to help her. She and her crush had had the same impulse and acted at the same time. They were meant to be!

Then again, maybe irony had a hand in it too, for that moment's distraction was all that the blonde needed to promptly disappear, using all his stealth. As he glanced back towards the rapidly disappearing backs of his teammates the expression on his face changed. As much as he wanted to boast to his heart's content, he put his sweat and blood into those jutsus. He wasn't about to tell them that they were his own creations when it was guaranteed that they wouldn't believe him anyway.

His teammates went from being slightly surprised, embarrassed, and, in Sakura's case, star-struck, to furious. The blonde enigma escaped!

**

* * *

**"Old man!" a familiar voice yelled as soon as he arrived. "Large Miso Special Ramen for Konoha's newest and best genin!" 

Ichiraku didn't even need to look up from his work to know who that was, but he did anyway. Naruto had mud on his pants legs, his clothes still damp from his swim in the river, and the back of his jacket was scoffed up like he'd crawled out of a pile of thorns. But that ever-present grin was as wide and happy as ever.

"I passed that stupid test baka-sensei had us do," he declared proudly.

Ayame looked over at him and smiled sweetly. That was all that was needed for him to launch into a blow by blow story of how he thrashed his sensei. When he reached the end of his story, Ayame smiled again at him and said, "It sounds like your sensei didn't know what he was in for, did he?"

"Of course not!" Naruto said happily. "because he didn't practice what he preached! 'See through deception!' He doesn't seem like a very good teacher to me, not like Iruka-sensei."

**

* * *

****Author's Note**: Well what's there to say besides the obvious? Gomen about the short chapter. Next chapter is the beginning of the Waves Country arc. I hope that things will finally start coming into their own soon. 

As to why those of you who don't like the little changes I've made thus far, think about this. If you changed one tiny thing you did today, anything could happen because of it. Small changes ALWAYS lead to big changes as events happen. And those small, barely noticeable, changes weight is starting to grow heavy on this story's shoulders. You will be seeing the results soon. BELIEVE IT!


	9. Secret Training

**Special Author's Note This chapter is dedicated to Emiya Shirou, my beta. Thanks so much! You have NO idea how helpful your suggestions and ideas have been, especially since you don't really appreciate Hinata/Naruto fanfics. XD**

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 9—Secret Training_

A week full of D-rank missions for a fresh genin team was pure hell. That was the simple and honest truth. There was only so much ambitious genins, like Naruto and Sasuke, could take. Especially when their constant missions were little more than chores; babysitting, shopping, gardening, repainting homes, fixing broken down buildings, cleaning Konoha in general everyday when they weren't training.

Upon hearing that their first mission was nothing more than having to weed a lazy gardener's flowerbed, Naruto had laughed it off like it was a joke. But as it became clear throughout the week that they weren't going to be given any mission that was even remotely interesting, the blonde's temper was beginning to swell.

Naruto now was walking to Ichiraku's after his most recent 'mission.' This chore was merely transporting a recipe scroll to a restaurant across town. The blonde, at this point, was ready to tear the said recipe to pieces and demand another mission. The fact that Sasuke now held on to it and was giving him a warning glare was the only thing that stopped his baser instincts. He kept his clenched fists in his pockets, resolutely trying not to vent his temper on the glares his was receiving for just walking down the street.

Then a familiar scent crept up into his nose. It was relatively new to him, but he'd recognize it anywhere. Glancing nonchalantly around, he spotted a tarp near a brick wall of a building. It was pathetically obvious that someone was hiding behind it, especially when the brat's dark hair was protruding above the top edge.

Turning to face the kid, Naruto called out, "Don't try to pretend that I can't see, Konohamaru. It's so obvious, it's pathetic."

A chuckle erupted from behind the tarp as Konohamaru lowered it, accepting his defeat. He had felt it was time to remind his blonde rival that he couldn't let his guard when Konohamaru was destined to replace his grandfather. Besides, with his new and improved training regime, he was bound to surpass the blonde soon enough.

"You sure haven't slacked off lately, Boss," he said, tucking the tarp away. He then slid into a basic taijutsu stance as he continued, "Now, fight me fair and square!"

"Huh?" Naruto asked, cocking his head to side. "Again? No way, Konohamaru, I've just got done with a mission and I'm hungry. Maybe later."

"But—" Konohamaru started, a feeling of depression settling in. He wanted to fight the blonde now, while he'd lost ero-sensei.

"Honorable grandson," an all-too-familiar voice said behind him. "You head what that boy said. He's weak and he isn't worth your time to fight anyway."

"Shut up, ero-sensei!" Konohamaru barked as he turned to face the man.

"What did you call me!" Naruto yelled, forgetting his growling stomach. It had been a long, aggravating day and this was probably the worst time for him to be insulted. Thus his anger finally got the better of him.

"Weak," Ebisu said simply. While it was debatable on how weak the blonde really was, the fact of the matter was that he didn't have the experience that Ebisu had, right?

"Other than a large amount of chakra and a long list of pranks," Ebisu said, talking to Konohamaru and pointedly ignoring the blonde. "this boy has no other traits that are worthy of recognition. You'd do well to stop hanging around this dobe, honorable grandson."

"Oh yeah!" two voices yelled out together. Naruto continued as Konohamaru glanced at him in surprise. "I'm gonna be Hokage one day, and you're going to respect me!"

"I know about your dream, Naruto," Ebisu said, with a hint of annoyance at being reminded of that dream again. It was quite irritating to hear Konohamaru always talk about that goal. But where he was willing to help the Sandaime's grandson, he was annoyed that this boy would have the same goal.

"But you have neither experience, nor the virtues of a Hokage," Ebisu continued. "Plus I am well-aware of the fact that you even have exceptionally poor chakra control, such control is vital to a Hokage. How do you plan on becoming something that is clearly beyond your reach?"

Naruto was ready to either beat the jounin to mush or subject the pervert to his patented Harem no Jutsu. Then something clicked in his mind. The man was a jounin renowned for his teaching skills. He might be able to help him…

Thrusting his finger forward, Naruto pointed straight at the man. Then, in a voice that reflected his determination, he declared, "Then teach me how to."

A silence descended upon the trio. Konohamaru was glancing back and forth between his sensei and rival, where had this come from? Ebisu was staring at the blonde kid in surprise. The brat didn't just request him to teach him, he _demanded_ that Ebisu teach him.

"Ah, boss?" Konohamaru said quietly with a confused expression. "What are you doing?"

Snorting, the man said, "Why should I instruct a brat like you? What would I have to gain from it?"

"Alright, a bet!" Naruto snapped, while grinning on the inside. "You teach me advanced chakra control. If I don't get it within three days, I promise I'll abandon my dream to become Hokage. If I do get it, you have to teach me a jutsu!"

"Relinquish your dream of being Hokage huh?" Ebisu said, turning the bet over in his mind. At best, he could stop hearing Konohamaru talking about the demon vessel like he was an honorable opponent and the brat would realize that he wasn't meant to become such a powerful shinobi. At worst, he'd just have to teach the brat a simple jutsu.

"Very well," Ebisu said, adjusting his sunglasses. "I accept."

**

* * *

**The next day, after another pointless mission, Naruto was in hot springs where ero-sensei had told him to be. As to why the pervert wanted him here was slightly beyond his understanding. 

Hearing some talking inside the hot springs, Naruto yielded to his curiosity. It took little time for him to find a knothole to peer through. On the other side of the hole was something he truly hadn't meant to see. The room was filled with hot, sweaty, and softly talking women, _naked_ women.

He covered his mouth in an attempt to keep from yelling out in surprise and embarrassment from such a sight. Naruto jerked himself away from the hole with a glowing brilliant red face, only to come face-to-face with Ebisu.

"What are you doing, Naruto?" Ebisu demanded hotly. "I won't allow you to indulge into your hobbies while you're supposed to be training!"

"Shut up!" Naruto yelled, still red-faced. "I don't do stuff like that! Besides _you're_ the pervert!"

"Why'd we come to this place anyway?" Naruto continued, cutting off Ebisu's denial. "Are we gonna take a bath before we start training?"

"No," Ebisu said with a crooked smile as he readjusted his sunglasses. "We will be training here at the hot springs."

Naruto shot him a confused look as he tried to understand what the man was talking about. What were they going to do here that involved chakra control? It just didn't make sense to him.

"Now," Ebisu said as he walked over to the steamy water's edge. "You wanted advanced chakra control? Well, here's an example of what all jounins are capable of."

He chuckled as with a knowing smirk, he said simply, "Walk atop water."

"Huh?" Naruto sure wasn't expecting _that_! He had thought it was some sort of water-controlling exercise. But walking on water was _very_ advanced compared to his current status as a fresh genin.

Immediately launching into his lecture mode, Ebisu said, "In order to float on water, you must always expel the appropriate amount of chakra into the water from your feet. You must make it match only to the amount necessary to make you float. This chakra control is much more difficult that to simply continue to create the same amount of chakra and is meant to be used for control training where you learn to create a set amount of chakra needed to expel for the use of a jutsu."

"Hmmm…" Naruto said thoughtfully. He'd understood everything that the pervert was saying, but to live up to his reputation of being a baka, a small comment of—"I don't get it!"—was needed.

Sighing resignedly at the blonde's act, Ebisu said, "Well, in your case, it's probably better to show you how to do it."

"First," he said as his feet began to glow a faint blue. "You gather the chakra to your feet…" Taking a step forward, he walked out on top of the water as though it were as solid as rock. "Then as you continually expel a set amount of chakra, you match it to the weight of your body."

"Wow!" was the blonde's response as he immediately saw dozens of possibilities for jutsu-combos with this ability.

Bringing his hands together, he immediately began to gather chakra to his feet. As he spoke aloud the steps to the exercise, he performed them. As he stepped onto the surface of the water, his feet quickly began to sink into the scorching water. His descent was only partially halted by his chakra, making him very slightly buoyant.

"Hm," the man said as he watched the blonde quickly sinking and screaming out in pain at the burning water. "Not quite what I expected…I guess I forgot to tell you but this bath water is seventy degrees. If you continue to fail, you'll become a boiled egg faster than a Hokage."

Climbing back ashore when he reached his waistline, Naruto glared at the water like it was insulting him. Bringing his hands together again, he refocused his chakra on the exercise. Stepping onto the water, he fell through as though he'd not even been using the chakra.

Ebisu watched as the blonde continued to experiment. In his mind replayed a recent and surprising conversation he'd had with Konohamaru a little earlier. The boy, who wouldn't believe a single word he'd said prior to meeting Naruto, was now pushing himself to his limits in training. At first Ebisu had thought that the kid had finally realized that his method of training was the 'easy way' to become Hokage. Upon sharing this information, Konohamaru simply said that there isn't an 'easy way.' Naruto had told him so.

Now as he watched the blonde struggling to remain afloat, but constantly sinking, he began to see the 'evil demon child' in a new light. They stayed at the hot springs for hours, only stopping when Naruto's stomach let out a rather loud complaint.

Ebisu dismissed the blonde for the evening. But while he seriously desired to read his latest Icha Icha Paradise volume in the safety of his home, he decided to return to the hot springs. It was just a hunch, but it turned out to be correct.

Naruto came back to the hot springs to continue the training.

**

* * *

**After that first day, Naruto continued his water-walking exercise after Team Seven's missions or training. The second day turned out to be the most exhausting for him since, after a short mission of babysitting some daimyo's four children. Naruto was taking the bet very seriously, so he spent as much time as he could in the hot springs. 

On the third day, it seemed that Kakashi had gotten slightly curious as to why Naruto was coming to missions with damp clothes for the past couple of days. While Kakashi didn't seem to care what the blonde was doing, it still piqued his interest. Was he merely just taking a swim in his clothes? Did he just suddenly decide that he liked wet clothes?

So when he followed the boy into the hot springs afterwards, it kind of surprised him. He was practicing an advanced level of chakra control that just shouldn't be possible for a boy at his age or experience.

The boy, after falling in after a desperate attempt to remain afloat, seemed to notice his presence. Sitting up, the blonde turned his back on the man as he glared at the water.

"What am I doing wrong, Kakashi-sensei?" he asked, not bothering to face him.

Stepping out from his hiding place, Kakashi considered the question. It seemed that his chakra control was better than he'd originally thought but it didn't seem as though he'd gotten the basic concept of how to do this exercise. Then again…

"Perhaps you are just too heavy," he said, peering over the edge of his book.

Naruto looked up in surprise. Then just as Kakashi was about to point it out, Naruto turned and started to strip down to his boxers. Throwing his soaked and heavy clothes to the side, he began to gather chakra again.

Stepping tentatively onto the water's surface, he floated there for a moment. An excited shout of awe and happiness burst from him, but in that instant he faltered on his control and promptly fell into the water again.

A few more tries and splashes later, a panting and steaming blonde lay on the cool stones of the hot springs' floor. In his mind played the new information he'd gotten. His clothes had indeed been weighing him down, meaning that the chakra he'd been expelling hadn't been enough after he'd fallen in. Then after he'd stripped, his control had been noticeably improved, but he still couldn't focus on the exercise long enough to not fall in.

"You know," a bored voice said from the doorway. "If you tried to concentrate a little more, you wouldn't fall in as much."

"I know that, baka-sensei!" Naruto yelled, irritated at the man for voicing his own thoughts. "But this takes a lot of focusing!"

"For someone with your skill level, perhaps," Kakashi said as he turned a page. "By the way, Naruto, why are you doing this training right now anyway? This is advanced chakra control. You haven't yet practiced tree climbing yet…have you?" he lifted his eye to gaze at the blonde after that question.

Naruto glanced at him for a moment with a confused looked etched into his face. "How can climbing trees be help with chakra control?" he asked, mentally he filed that scrap of information away for later examination.

"Hm, I suppose you haven't then," Kakashi said simply as he returned to reading. "Oh well, to each his own."

"Kakashi-san," a familiar voice said from behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was investigating my student's recent activities," he said, not bothering to look up from his book. "I take it you have something to do this training that Naruto's doing?"

"Hai," Ebisu said, walking into the room. He shot a distasteful glare at the one-eyed jounin for reading such books in front of children. Then, when the glare was ignored, he continued, "The brat made a bet with me. I have to teach him a jutsu if he's able to do this exercise after three days. If not, he gives up on being Hokage."

Glancing up in surprise at that, Kakashi looked between the two for a moment before returning to his reading. Now that he knew what was going on, he quickly excused himself. Whatever the blonde did wasn't truly any of his business as long as he got to missions and training on time.

**

* * *

**"Now, let's see how far you've progressed," Ebisu said, watching the blonde with a scrutinizing glare. "You must be able to float to on the surface for more than a minute before you loose control." 

Glaring at the man, Naruto turned back to water. This was going to be difficult. He could at best float on the water for more than twenty seconds before he sunk. What he needed now was either an excessive amount of chakra at his disposal or truly good control over what he had left in his slightly depleted reserves.

Too bad he didn't really have either.

_Come on, Naruto_, he yelled to himself. _Get it together! You can do this! Believe it!_

In ritual form, he brought his hands up and began concentrating on his chakra. He could feel it swirling around and through his feet. Then taking a tentative step out onto the water, he adjusted the amount accordingly. As then he took another step and another. Surprisingly he'd found it much easier to concentrate when he was moving.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated solely on the feel of his chakra running through his feet. Nothing else entered his mind and any sounds he heard fell on deaf ears. He would concentrate only on this control because he was going to be Hokage some day. He wasn't about to give up on that dream just because of a little bet with a perverted old man!

He didn't know how long he was walking on the water, but as he continued, he found it getting easier. Then his felt his focus begin to loosen as a new habit formed. When he opened his eyes, he saw himself on the opposite side of the pool he'd started at. Turning around, he repeated the process.

Ebisu was staring with surprise and awe. This boy had just walked across the hot springs with scarcely a ripple. Not only that, he didn't seem to show any signs of chakra depletion or faltering control. _It would seem that when push comes to shove_, he thought with a new respect for the boy. _He can improve in leaps and bounds_.

"Okay, that's enough!" Ebisu called out. "You've made it quite clear that you've mastered it."

Naruto looked up in surprise for a moment. Had he loss track of time? Then a foxy grin erupted across his face. He'd gotten the exercise! That meant he was going to learn a new jutsu!

With an excited cry of victory, Naruto jumped high into the air. Ebisu felt a smile forming on his face at the blonde's eagerness. Maybe this boy wasn't as much of a screw-up as he'd originally thought.

When Naruto came down from his jump, he tried to land on the surface. But his focus was completely shot at the thought of learning a new jutsu that he promptly fell into the scorching the water yet again.

With a smirk and a readjustment of his sunglasses, Ebisu decided to teach the blonde one of his better jutsus.

**

* * *

**The jutsu was called Fuuton: Kaze Tate, the wind shield. A simple, chuunin-level jutsu used to create a small tornado of wind around the user, usually strong enough to deflect the common kunai and shuriken. While excited to be taught a potentially useful jutsu, Naruto complained quite loudly about only being taught a defensive _chuunin_ jutsu. 

Ebisu's answer was simple. "The Kaze Tate is only as strong as the amount of chakra used to create it, Uzumaki-san. So, if you were to feed enough chakra into it, you could be generating a powerful defense as long as it is sustained."

To prove his point, Ebisu performed the Kaze Tate no Jutsu with Naruto hurling several fuuma shuriken that the jounin had brought along. With the extra boost of chakra that Ebisu was feeding the jutsu, all the fuuma shuriken were safely deflected well before they came anywhere near him.

Forgetting his complaints, Naruto set to mastering the jutsu as soon as he possibly could. It only required three handseals. But he seemed to have trouble with handseals. It took him too long to do them, which could slow the releasing of a jutsu in a fight. So now he sat in his apartment, wide awake despite the late hour, practicing his handseals.

Flashing through them yet again, he noted that with the increased speed it was harder to mold chakra. And if he tried to go too fast, his fingers would tangle! But the thought that his slow seals could give his enemies, namely Sasuke, an advantage in a fight fueled his desire to speed up the process. Plus, he remembered, speed was also crucial in a battle as proven to him by his fight with baka-sensei.

A loud growling sounded from his stomach as he readied to unleash another set of handseals. Had he lost track of time again? A glance at his battered alarm clock brought a resigned sigh from him. _…two-thirty?_ Yes, he did lose track of time.

About fifteen instant ramen cups later found the blonde dozing where he sat at the table. It had been a long time since he'd tried to work on his latest secret jutsu. Even months after the Hyuuga prank, he still couldn't break those balloons and it was starting to irritate him.

What was he doing wrong? No matter how fast he spun the chakra and water inside the balloon, it just refused to burst. He could spin it so fast that the balloon would flatten and stretch to such extremes that it amazed him that it _didn't_ break. What was wrong with his idea? If the chakra was spinning so fast, and no doubt that it was more than enough force to break the balloon, why wasn't it?

In his befuddled mind, he brought his hands up into a familiar cross seal. Forming a clone on the other side of the table, he grinned sleepily at it.

"I'm stumped," he said simply. "Why can't I break the balloon with my chakra?"

"How should I know?" the clone demanded. "You're the genius who thought up this crazy idea, why doesn't it?"

"Heh," he snorted indignantly. "You are me, too. So tell me, genius, why won't it work?"

"Not a clue," was the answer. "Have some more ramen. It helped last time."

Naruto glanced lazily at the most recent cup, still filled partially with the delicious juices he loved so much. He shoved it roughly at the clone as he grunted, "It's all gone, baka. This is the last cup."

"Well, then drink it, you blonde baka!" it barked, shoving it back at him with a bit more force than it probably intended. The juice was shaken up enough to get tossed out over the edge and splatter into Naruto's face.

The clone smirked at its creator's surprised face. "If you'd just have drunk it in the first place, that wouldn't have happened."

But Naruto didn't reply. He was staring at the churning water in the cup. The clone noticed his lapse of attention quickly and it stared at him. "What? What are you staring at?"

"That's it!" Naruto said, glancing up at the clone with a growing smile.

Getting up, he rushed over to cabinet that held the stash of water balloons. He filled it accordingly and then returned to the table. The clone could only watch in confusion as the original began focusing chakra into the balloon. But this time it was different.

Where it would flatten before, it didn't now. Large bulges began pushes themselves out of the balloon in all directions. Grunting in his concentration, greatly improved after water-walking, he forced the chakra to spin at incredible speeds.

Then, it burst.

As the water erupted from the balloon, the last strands of blue chakra faded. Panting from the exertion he just endured from having to focus so much of his chakra to do that, he glanced up to his clone.

The clone wore a surprised stare on its face. But that stare quickly changed to a cocky, foxy grin as he began to understand what Naruto had just done. To spin the water in one direction was good for practice, but he just spun it in four, five, even six directions at once. That was more than the balloon could handle.

Finally, he was one step closer to completing this jutsu!

**

* * *

**"Sasuke, I'm at Point B," the Uchiha whispered over the radio. 

"Sakura, I'm at Point C," she whispered soon after.

About thirty seconds later, Naruto whispered, "Naruto, I'm at Point A."

"You're slow, Naruto," Kakashi said disapprovingly.

There was a rustle of branches and leaves. It was their target, and it was moving! They rushed after it, using all the foliage and brush to their advantage. With them being downwind, they were able to sneak up it to fairly easily.

"What's your distance from the target?" Kakashi asked when they didn't respond after a few moments.

"Five meters," Naruto mumbled from behind a tree. "I'm ready, just give me the signal."

"I'm ready too," Sasuke said, glancing around from his own tree trunk.

"So am I," Sakura confirmed.

This was one of their more 'exciting' missions. They were deep in the forest, tracking quite the easy trail that their prey had left behind. Kakashi stood near the forest's tree line waiting for them to return while issuing instructions.

"Now!" Kakashi ordered.

As one, the three shinobi lunged from their hiding places. But Naruto, for once faster than even Sasuke, was able to tackle their prey to ground. That proved to be a mistake. As the badly frightened cat let out a terrified whine and immediately turned its wrath on the one responsible.

As they watched the blonde literally get his face clawed off by the frightened feline, Kakashi asked, "Can you verify a ribbon on its right ear?"

A simple glance and flash of red later, Sasuke said, "Affirmative, we have a positive ID."

Sighing, Kakashi said, "Roger. 'Lost Pet: Tora' captured…Mission accomplished."

Scarcely a second later, Naruto voiced his opinion on the mission. Thanks to a nervous wreck that was now the feline in his face, his bad mood escalated dangerously. With the need for stealth now void, he yelled into the microphone, nearly breaking Kakashi's eardrums in the process.

"COULDN'T WE HAVE GOTTEN A _BETTER_ MISSION THAN _THIS!_ **_I HATE CATS!_**"

**(Author's Note)** Just so you all know, I'm getting seriously pressed for my constant usage of the computer here. I'm in Fort Jackson, training to go active duty in a few months, and my obsession with writing this story is starting to wear thin on many of the sergeants and my fellow soldiers here. So if I suddenly go for a week or so with no update, don't be too surprised or depressed. When I start a story, I ALWAYS stick with it and try to finish it.

I know this isn't exactly what I promised it would be, but with the large number of complaints I've been getting about following the anime too much, I figured we could all use a bit of relief from it. So here it is. I hope I kept everyone in-character. Please enjoy!


	10. Impudent Whelps

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 10—Impudent Whelps_

They had traveled in less than two days what a normal person would travel in little more than a week. Though they weren't quite use to it, racing through the thick forest and foliage that was what gave the Fire Country's hidden village its distinctive namesake, the pair didn't pause for even a moment. There was only one objective in their minds; _mission_.

They had observed their prey and his bodyguards since they'd left the protection of their Hidden Village. It was a little surprising to see that their prey had only hired out a single genin team to escort him and not at least chuunins. Then again, the genin's sensei was the infamous Hatake Kakashi also known as Copycat Kakashi.

It was very nerve-wracking for the pair. They wanted to pounce, to kill, to maim; especially Kakashi. His head would fetch a very high price in Kirigakure. And if they struck him fast and mercilessly, there was no way he'd survive. After all, they were called the Demon Brothers for nothing! But they couldn't do that while the group was still within easy traveling distance of Konoha. So they followed, watching from the safety of the foliage.

And it certainly wasn't a boring show that the genins were putting on. The blonde loudmouth seemed to be determined to get the pink-haired girl's attention while her focus was on the dark-haired boy. When he couldn't get her, the blonde baka would turn a surprising amount of wrath on the other boy, as though he were doing it on purpose. Then the girl would retaliate for her crush if he didn't. The blonde would either get abused by the boy's quick wit or he'd get a smacked to the ground by the girl.

Even their prey took some time to insult the baka, who always had to be restrained by Kakashi from assaulting him. They would enjoy getting rid of the brats, especially the blonde loudmouth as he would undoubtedly scream the loudest.

Kakashi was silent the whole time; except for the time he told them about the basics of the shinobi villages and relations or for them to set up camp for the night.

When they had gotten close to the Fire Country border, the pair's patience had finally waned. They set up a trap right in plain sight, disguised as a puddle. In their impatience, they failed to take into account the dry weather.

At first it seemed as though the group hadn't even noticed their presence. Then, just as he passing the puddle, the blonde's nose twitched. A look of disgust crossed his face as he quickly covered it as he cast a forlorn look around for the source of the stench. But nonetheless, he continued on his path. The brothers were too busy contemplating the boy's behavior to notice that Kakashi had spotted them.

The quick attack went smoothly; they easily wrapped up the copy-nin and tore him to shreds with their chain link. Then, as they were about to pounce the blonde kid, things took a turn for the worse.

The dark kid pinned their chain link to a tree as the blonde seemed to react on instinct. He leapt back and slammed his elbows into their stomachs. In their surprise and pain, they didn't notice the other boy landing on their gauntlets until he kicked them in the face. The chain broke and they wasted little time separating. One had rushed their prey, with the dark boy sprinting in front of and using his body as a shield. The other leapt backward then rushed forward to finish the blonde.

Then Kakashi intervened.

It took a rather smart kick to both their heads from the girl before they were roused. Humiliatingly enough, they were tied tightly to the tree and entirely disarmed of their various weapons. The brothers struggled to escape their binds, but (as Sakura discovered) Kakashi was very good at tying up all loose ends.

Kakashi hadn't questioned them. He didn't have to because their prey was more than willing to tell him everything he needed to know. And because of some low tactics, he was still able to guarantee their continued protection despite his deception.

Now as the nukenin were being collected by the hunter-nin, they couldn't help but to curse the impudent whelps and the days they were born.

**

* * *

**As he had promised, the Demon of the Mist now watched the group of the Konoha shinobi. It had come as a surprise to realize that his underlings had been defeated. So, when that parasite Gatou appeared to vent his wrath, Zabuza was quite looking forward to this battle. 

_Hatake Kakashi, eh_? He thought with a delighted sneer. _This is gonna be fun…_ He couldn't help but chuckle sinisterly as he imagined the fun of crushing the copy-nin and cashing that in that very high bounty on the man's head. But it was that chuckle, no matter how subdued, that attracted the Jounin's attention.

And someone else, surprisingly.

The blonde shrimp in that ridiculously bright orange jumpsuit immediately whirled around and threw a kunai straight at him. Though taken slightly off-guard, Zabuza used the kawarimi to escape.

Crouched high up in a tree and expertly hidden, he continued watching as the group reacted to the blonde's sudden actions. The girl was fast to berate him, which he quickly tried to pacify her by claiming he'd heard something. But she apparently didn't believe him and her belief was only reinforced when she saw the terrified hare that he'd substituted himself with.

Kakashi had easily realized that it was a kawarimi, he knew. The man was standing there casually watching the pair of kids, or to a normal person he was. To Zabuza's trained eye, he watched as the man scanned the surrounding area, no doubt searching for an alien chakra signature.

Zabuza couldn't tell if his sensory skills were advanced enough to detect him but he didn't feel like taking the chance. Besides, who was Zabuza to keep people waiting when they seemed to want to rush to death?

**

* * *

**He didn't exactly everything that was going on around him. But what he did know with certain was that the muscle-bound killer on the slab of steel that could also be called a sword was intent on killing him. The fact that the kids were surrounding him with kunai at the ready and their sensei was keeping a close eye on the man didn't ease the growing fear in his stomach. 

If the situation hadn't been quite as life-threatening to him, he would've been fascinated by the speeds and skills that the shinobi showed. The most awesome were the Mist shinobi, Momochi Zabuza he'd been called, and the genin's sensei. They were able to produce copies of themselves out of water, move at incredible speeds, and even stand on water.

Yet the situation took a grim turn to disaster when Kakashi got caught. Even though the jounin was ordering them to run away, which was technically good advice, his students were still reluctantly to leave him to his fate. Tazuna had to privately applaud their commitment to rescue their sensei, even though they were clearly scared as much as he was. This demon of a man completely thrashed the two boys, with little effort it seemed.

But as watched the blonde kid, who he'd instantly labeled as a loser and undoubtedly weak, rushing the water clone to get his headband back, he felt a new respect for the baka. His following declaration that he wasn't going to back down, even in the face of certain death, actually was able to lift Tazuna's fear, if only temporarily.

What came next from the blonde kid and the moody dark kid greatly surprised him. They worked together which, given the last few days of constant bickering and beating, amazed him.

Naruto surrounded the mizu bunshin with kage bunshins instantly. They quickly formed the tora seal and inhaled deeply. When the smoke cloud engulfed the clone and blocked off the Zabuza's point of view, one of the kage bunshins suddenly transformed into a fuuma shuriken and was thrown to the moody boy. Sasuke, catching a meaningful glance from Naruto, was quickly able to catch on to the boy's plan. He took a sprinting run through the smoke, ignoring the sounds of fighting that were coming from the bunshins.

In the smoke cloud, the mizu bunshin was having a tough time fighting all the kage bunshins. Though he was an expert in killing in the mist, he had very rarely ever come across another who could see him without their eyes. The shadows were easy enough to destroy, if he could _hit_ them! Why were they so hard to see, even when they were in his face?

Oh, why was he even wasting his time with these brats? Dashing toward where he sensed the old man, the mizu bunshin jumped high in the air. He raised his sword over his head with every intention of cleaving the Tazuna into two pieces.

Noticing the nukenin too late, all Sakura could do was jump backward, shoving Tazuna roughly aside as she raised her kunai in a feeble defense. Tazuna watched in horror as the man continued on his path, no sign of changing his original intentions. Then just as the mizu bunshin was bringing its deadly blade down, it erupted into water that showered the girl.

Both Tazuna and Sakura stared in surprise at this. What had just happened? Then the sound of loud, mocking laughter came from the other side of the smokescreen. A soft breeze was more than enough to slowly blow the fading smoke away. The site the beheld them was surprising.

Sasuke stood by the water's edge. Kakashi was free, if drenched, and had blocked Zabuza found throwing a fuuma shuriken he must've caught at the loud blurry image of a blonde that was running across the water back for shore. How the heck did this come to have happened?

When the boys retreated from the water's edge, Zabuza and Kakashi engaged in a battle of water jutsus, climaxing with a pair of Suiryuudan no Jutsu. The water dragons sent an enormous waves crashing onto shore. Then Zabuza and Kakashi engaged went through another series of identical and impossible to see handseals. But apparently the copycat jounin finished first and sent a huge blast of water into Zabuza and pushing onto shore.

What had happened next just sickened Tazuna. A boy, probably no older than the genin escorting him, killed Zabuza. He was collecting the man's body when suddenly the blonde spoke out as he was approaching from the water.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled. "Aren't you supposed to burn the body?"

As his teammates looked at him with odd expressions, the new arrival used the distraction to vanish, leaving the kids to carry Kakashi as he fainted from chakra depletion.

It seemed as though the danger had passed. The 'master bridge builder' was now proudly leading the way back his home. Oh how he yearned for the security and comfort of his own home, a good bed, and hot meal. This was just too much for an old man like himself.

**

* * *

**Kakashi was unconscious for nearly two days. To the genins, it was a boring time. All they could really do was guard the house, do chores, go into the small town, explore the wilderness, or train. Well, in Sakura's case, she busied herself with adoring Sasuke and trying to get him to speak with her. She wanted a step-by-step story of how he was magically able to free Kakashi. 

Of course, Sasuke being Sasuke, he only ignored her in favor of perfecting one of the Uchiha clan's favored jutsus; Katon: Ryuka no Jutsu. He went to the nearby coast and practiced performing the jutsu into the water. It was a lower Jounin level jutsu, but he was still able to perform it with a moderate amount of control. Several times, however, he scorched his throat while trying to exhale the fire blast.

Panting after his most recent use, he felt the chakra in his system being depleted faster than he appreciated. It wasn't enough! He needed more power. He needed stronger jutsus as that man would only have and use the very strongest of the ones he copied.

But he wouldn't be able to obtain his goal in life if he died of chakra exhaustion. With serious reluctance, he turned and headed back toward Tazuna's house. Yet, he swore that he'd be back once his chakra was replenished enough.

His path took him straight through a dense wooded area. It was relaxing to walk through the woods of a foreign area with no obnoxious fan girls hounding his every step. It was calming to hear the wind in the leaves and branches. It was also very refreshing to breathe the scent of the ocean with a forest of various plants.

But this calm didn't last long. As he was passing near the center of the woods, he heard a familiar voice groaning loudly, like he was straining to lift something. Then there came an audible burst and the unique splattering of water. _What was that?_

Yielding to his curiosity, Sasuke altered his course to converge on the sounds. As he drew closer, he spotted a familiar patch of bright blonde hair standing on a small pool of water. With his back to Sasuke, the Uchiha couldn't see what he was doing. But he did sense a large amount of chakra coming from the boy as he focused on his hands and feet evidently.

Grunting in concentration, Naruto's back hunched forward as his body grew taunt with strain. Then, with a louder burst now that he was closer, Sasuke watched as water erupted from the general area of both his hands.

_What was that? What is that dobe doing?_ He wondered as he continued to watch with a growing interest. Making sure that he was hidden perfectly in the underbrush, Sasuke waited patiently for the blonde to move.

Apparently, whatever Naruto was doing had caused him to lose focus because he suddenly dropped into the pond and had to climb to shore. Dropping to his knees and panting loudly, he just sat there for a moment. However, after a loud and deep breath, he climbed back onto his feet.

An excitement suddenly rose in Sasuke for a second. Maybe the dobe was attempting to make another jutsu, probably something with water. He suspected that the idiot had created that smokescreen and image blur like he had with the Oiroke no Jutsu. What was it was trying to make now?

Maybe he could learn it from the dobe if it was worth his time, even if the dobe wouldn't willingly teach him all he'd need was the Sharingan.

Then he crushed that feeling in an instant, narrowing his eyes as he cast a glare at the blonde. Whatever that baka was doing was probably only another ridiculous jutsu like Oiroke no Jutsu. Why should he degrade himself by learning or copying a technique that was probably just worthless in the end?

"I know you're there, Sasuke, Sakura," Naruto barked angrily.

_Sakura?_ he couldn't help but question. _When did she get here?_ The realization that he hadn't been able to sense Sakura's approached due to his lack of attention was like a slap to his face. Snorting in disdain at being caught, by a dobe nonetheless, Sasuke merely turned and walked away with a glare on his face.

"Why were you two spying on me?" Naruto asked bluntly, watching as Sakura stared yearningly at Sasuke's retreating back for a moment.

"What were you doing?" Sakura asked, ignoring his question. That happy gleam in her eye quickly shifted to disgruntled curiosity as she faced him. "What were those things you had? I saw them explode in your hands."

An all-too-familiar grin grew on his face as Naruto ignored the dangerous gaze the girl was sending him. "I'm training," he said simply.

"Making more jutsus?" Sakura asked, trying to sound uninterested when, in fact, she was _very_ interested.

"These jutsus are _mine!_" Naruto said in a voice that was thick with warning as his grin faltered. Then, after a second, it was back with a slight blush on his face. "And I really don't want to share them, Sakura. Not even with you."

Sakura was close to giving him another fist in the face when a chance memory. In her head was a replay of all the jutsus that she'd seen the blonde use but one suddenly stuck out in her head. Yesterday, he'd shown somehow he could do something that she knew for a fact was beyond what even Sasuke could do at this moment.

"Naruto," she said suddenly, in a kinder and questioning tone. "Yesterday you were walking on water. How did you do you that?"

In a flash, the large foxy grin suddenly seemed to fill his face. With pride, Naruto practically sang out, "That is my secret."

"What?"

"My secret," he repeated.

"Naruto," Sakura said with a tone that immediately sent him quivering in fear "What do you call those jutsus?"

"Oboro and Enmaku," he said, not wanting to draw Sakura's wrath onto him so soon.

"Teach me them, Naruto-san," Sakura said, wording it like a request but saying it like a demand while trying to use formality to shock the blonde into complying.

"No, Sakura-san," Naruto said, mirroring the girl's underhanded tactic. He was sent flying back into the pond seconds after flashing a foxy grin at the girl.

* * *

(Author's Note) Sorry about the wait! I can't believe how damn irritating those sergeants are becoming! Apparently they really don't apprectiate my being on the computer, much less the internet,so much. But, surprisingly, they aren't as bad as my parental units (they don't let me on the computer--_period!_).

So when I'm done training here (in about a week or two), I'm going to be going home for a few months before I'm finally shipped to my duty assignment (Fort Eustius, Virgina, by Yorktown). My updates will undoubtedly slow to less than two a month until that time. So please be patient with me!

Just to let you all know beforehand.

On another note, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. Emiyo said that it was different reading this old part from these different points-of-views. Do you agree ?


	11. Someone Precious?

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan **

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 11—Someone Precious?_

"Tree climbing?"

"Yeah," Kakashi answered simply. Despite having to use a pair of crutches to be able to walk, he still was able to tower over the gathered genins. Standing in thick of the wooded area that the kids had spent a little time exploring earlier, the three genin stared at Kakashi.

Sakura and Sasuke had disgusted looks on their faces at the aspect of climbing trees for their training. Because he at least suspected what Kakashi had in store for them, Naruto had an eager gleam in his eye.

"What kind of training is that?" Sakura asked, trying to keep the resentment out of her voice and failing miserably.

"This isn't normal tree climbing," Kakashi clarified. "You won't be using your hands."

Naruto's face instantly brightened as his infamous foxy grin appeared. Now this would be a challenge! Sasuke and Sakura could only look confused at their sensei and annoyed at Naruto.

"How?" Sakura persisted.

"Well, watch," the Jounin said with a resigned sigh. Bringing up his hands from his pockets, he formed the hitsuji seal. A faint glow of blue drew the genins' attentions to his feet.

Then wobbling over to the nearest tree, Kakashi put his foot upon the trunk and continued to wobble up the tree. Completely defying gravity. The trio of genin stared in awe at their sensei as he came to rest hanging underneath a tree limb almost thirty feet in the air.

"You understand now?" he asked, slightly amused. "Gather your chakra into the bottom of your feet and climb up a tree. This is something that you can do once you can use chakra well."

"Wait a minute," Sakura called out forcefully. "How is learning to climb a tree going to make us stronger?"

Thus Kakashi launched into a tried-and-true lecture of how the art of tree climbing increased chakra reserves and how a person who learn to summon chakra into their feet could theoretically perform any known jutsu in the world. The explanation had Naruto quivering in anticipation to get started.

With a mere flick of his wrist, the jounin sent a trio of kunai down at the genin underneath him. He watched their first attempts at tree climbing amusedly. Sakura, with her perfect control, was able to climb more than sixty feet up her tree. Sasuke only got about fifteen feet up before his control slipped and he accidentally pumped too much out. It resulted in him bringing flung off the tree, after he threw a slash across the trunk.

Naruto only got one foot on the trunk before he was blasted clear across the tiny clearing and slammed into another tree. The tree he'd attempted to climb let out a loud crunching groan as the weakened base could no longer support its weight, sending it toppling over. The tree he slammed into had a clear imprint in its bark of the blonde's body.

_Hm_, the jounin thought. _I guess that water-walking may have increased his chakra reserves a little _too_ much_.

"Jeez, Naruto!" Sakura reprimanded. "Can't you do anything without destroying something!"

"WHOA!" he yelled as he saw how high she got. "That's awesome, Sakura-chan!"

"Well, there you have it," Kakashi said easily. "A clear gauge on how well each of you controls your own chakra compared to each other. Too much and you get repelled from the tree, far too much and you destroy the tree, and the right amount."

Glancing down at the boys he felt that a little jab at their self-worth would be needed to inspire them to continue. "I guess among the three of you, Sakura is the closest to the becoming Hokage—" That brought a small flinch from Naruto. "and I guess the Uchiha prodigy isn't as great as we thought." This brought a scowl from Sasuke.

"Shut up, sensei!" Sakura yelled, fearing that he was going to cause Sasuke to get mad at her.

Neither boy seemed to pay much attention to Sakura as they looked at one another. Then, with smirks, they turned and sprinted for their respective trees.

Seeing that they no longer needed any prompting, Kakashi made his way back down to the ground. If he could've, he might have stayed on the branch a while longer but he could feel his already depleted reserves were quickly fading. Once safely on the ground, he left them to their exercises.

* * *

It was hours later when Kakashi returned.

Sakura lay panting on the ground underneath her tree as she watched the boys, or rather Sasuke, continue their training. Despite being madly in love with the boy, she couldn't quite dispel the pride in her knowing that she could do something far better than him for once, not including using her too-large forehead.

Her crush was scarcely any higher than where he had been. In fact, the tree looked as though a lunatic had come and hacked up the trunk. She couldn't help but notice the look of frustration on his face, and exhaustion.

_Maybe he'll come over here and ask me for help?_ She thought. This only brought on a fit of giggles despite her short breath. _Yeah, he'll come over and ask me for help. Then, we'll talk and talk for hours. Just me and him…_ _Paradise__…_

But it didn't look like he was focused on her at all. He kept casting glares off to the side with a killer intent that even Zabuza could've been proud of and then returned to running up his tree. Finally yielding to her curiosity, Sakura got up and walked over to where he was glaring.

What she saw was Naruto. Except unlike what she'd thought he was doing since she couldn't see him from where she had been, he was practically skipping up his tree while humming a melody. There were only a few scratch marks on his and each was noticeably higher than the last.

_Whoa_, was her only coherent thought as she watched the blonde travel high up into the branches, turn around and come down at the same speed, and then simply repeat his cycle. There was a heavy coating of sweat on his face, but other than that there were no noticeable signs of chakra depletion or exhaustion.

When he caught her staring, Naruto faced her with a cocky foxy grin.

"Alright, that's enough!" Kakashi yelled out. All three were in front of him shortly as he watched them. Sakura was spent with Sasuke not too far behind, only Naruto seemed slightly winded.

"Tomorrow, Naruto, you will guard Tazuna-san while he returns to his work on the bridge," he looked pointedly at Sasuke and Sakura as he continued. "You two will come back here and continue training. Sakura, I know you've already mastered this, but I want you to stay and increase your reserves and stamina."

The pink-haired kunoichi was torn. On one hand, why should she continue if she was clearly far above the boys in chakra control? On the other hand, it meant that she'd be out here with Sasuke, _alone_! That simple thought instantly crushed any complaints she had.

"Why do I have to do that?" Naruto whined instantly. "I wanna train! I'm gonna be Hokage, so I gotta keep training!"

"Because you have already a very large chakra reserve, Naruto," Kakashi answered, very annoyed at this predictable complaint. "And I've given you a direct order."

Naruto had a comical pout combined with an angry glare on his face. Well, there was no way that he was going to let a little boring guard duty stop him from training!

* * *

The amount of manpower needed to build such a bridge as well as the necessity for every pillar, every stone, and every nail to be exactly in the right spot for the bridge to not be weakened should've interested him. The fact that there were a dozen men to do the job slowed the work pace, so the fact that they could be so thorough would've impressed him.

Had he been even slightly interested…

"I'm _soooo_ _bored!_" Naruto whined for the thousandth time that morning.

The men who were working close by could only grumble in annoyance. They had told the boy to shut up for the past three hours, but the blonde either ignored them or just complained louder. It was starting to seriously grate on their nerves.

"Shut up, kid," Tazuna growled. He was one of several men who were considering just telling the genin to leave and let them finish in peace. But the fact that Gatou could attack at any moment prevented that thought. For if the greedy man did, this blonde would be their only defense. Naruto understood this too, which was what prevented him from leaving.

"Well, could we do something interesting already!" the blonde demanded. Then his stomach let out a loud grumble. Patting it irritably, he glanced up at Tazuna who was walking over. "Can we eat? I'm hungry! Are there any ramen stands in this village?"

Sighing as his own stomach let out its agreement with the blonde, Tazuna turned back to his men and called out, "Alright, lunch break. Be back in twenty minutes."

"YES!" Naruto shouted, jumping to his feet and already heading towards town.

"Naruto," Tazuna said as they left the bridge and walked down the village streets. "Where is the rest of your team? I thought you would all be here."

Chuckling at his own private joke, Naruto grinned up at the man as he crossed his arms behind his head. "They're out training, the little weaklings! Heh, just comes to show why I'll be Hokage!"

"Really now," Tazuna said as they approached a food store. "Just why do you wish to become Hokage so badly anyway?"

"Because I want to be the greatest shinobi in Konohagakure," the blonde replied immediately. "Then everyone will have to stop disrespecting me and treat me like I'm someone important!"

"Oh yeah," Tazuna mumbled. He'd forgotten that somehow, which was strange since the blonde was always talking about respect and the title of Hokage.

"Where's the ramen?" Naruto asked as he looked around at the ridiculously small selections of food available at prices that were cheaper than even his usual cup of instant ramen.

"There isn't any," the shopkeeper said. "What you see is what we got."

This got a surprised gaze out of Naruto. Was the economy of Wave really so bad that the grocery stores couldn't even afford ramen? Then the entirety of the bridge's significance to the islands finally dawned on him.

With a depressed sigh, his shoulders slumped as his gaze dropped and he waited patiently for Tazuna to pick out the food. However, his depression didn't last long for a felt a person reaching clumsily into his equipment pouch.

"Eat this!" Naruto yelled as he reflexively spun and slammed his fist into the wanna-be thief's stomach. The blow sent the man crumbling to the floor, gasping and grasping his stomach in pain.

"Never try to steal from a shinobi, touzoku," Naruto growled as his sympathy for Wave Country was momentarily forgotten.

"Please go easy on him," Tazuna said as he approached. "These are desperate times, which are why men and women do stuff like that."

Clenching his fists to control his temper, Naruto nodded as they left the store and returned to bridge. As much as he wanted to train, he couldn't just leave Tazuna unprotected. Yet, who said that he'd have to protect him the _entire_ day?

* * *

It had taken a while, but he'd pulled it off. No one noticed his momentary disappearance or quick usage of the Kage Bunshin. But now, after lunch, he proudly sat in the wooded area well away from where he knew his teammates would be.

In his hand, he tried to perform his drilling jutsu without the water balloon. The results were strange. The chakra swirled around in his hand like a typhoon. It compressed itself into a loose sphere but large tendrils of chakra still bled off it. It was certainly a 'flashy' jutsu at this point.

Now he just had to see how well it could do damage. It was this thought that propelled him into shoving the fragile sphere into the trunk of the tree closest to him. The outcome was surprising.

The sound of weak grinding of wood sounded from inside the tree. There a small spiral pattern formed on the tree as the bark was peeled or torn off. However, the untamed swirling chakra lashed back out at him since it was still so close to the surface and his hand.

The tendrils of chakra cut and sliced the palm of his hand, drawing shallow fissures of blood. Yelping, he reflexively drew his hand away and stared at it. It hurt like hell, but after a few moments he watched in awe as the wound began to heal.

_Now that is interesting_…he thought bitterly. _I bet it's that bastard fox, damn kitsune_.

Because he didn't want there to be any evidence to these secret training sessions he was holding for himself, he licked the blood from his palm. Then he simply sat down and studied the tree in front of him.

Apparently whatever was wrong with the jutsu wasn't the design. It worked perfectly if that was what happened to the tree. The thought of that happening to an enemy's body on the inside brought chuckles from the boy. Yet if he really wanted to make this jutsu truly dangerous, he needed to find a way to prevent that backlash of chakra from harming himself as well.

But even though the jutsu seemed to be working, something in his gut told him that it still wasn't powerful enough. While the fact that it could at least shred a tree on the inside at this point was somewhat comforting, he wanted a more powerful version to not only grind up an enemy's innards, but to completely demolish them.

He needed to increase its power while at the same time controlling it to not harm himself. This would require a lot of thought and a bit of ingenuity, he could tell. But unfortunately, he wasn't in the mood to think it out. So he did the next best thing; he got inspired for another jutsu.

* * *

He was exhausted. Not just physically, but also in his chakra supply. He had not stopped once since they returned to the woods. His new tree now resembled the one from yesterday. He could get almost thirty feet up before he lost his concentration. It was like there was some barrier that was preventing him from getting any higher.

But he was an _UCHIHA!_ He was supposed to be the best, the _elite!_ How come he couldn't get this! In the academy, he'd excelled in everything and his dedication to become powerful was unsurpassed. So why couldn't he get any higher on this simple tree-climbing exercise?

Growling disgustedly at himself, he glanced over to where Sakura was supposed to be training. She had tried to train as long and as hard as him, but she'd collapsed from exhaustion only an hour after they started. Now, she was staring at him with red cheeks which only brightened when he glanced.

She could do this exercise. Hell, even _Naruto_ got it! They had made that painfully obvious to him as they ran up and down the trees as though they were running across a field. If that dobe and a fan girl could do it, why couldn't he?

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke sat down on the ground for a short breather. Resting his chin in his palm, he tried to calm his temper and think about what he was doing wrong. In the long and short, he needed to use his chakra to stick him to the tree like his feet were suction cups. While he was doing this obviously, why couldn't he keep the pace?

Another glance at Sakura brought a thought to his head that he really didn't want to do. But then again, if he didn't, he might not be able to get this exercise! And Sakura was the smartest kunoichi genin in their year. Even smarter than him he'd admit, albeit not verbally. Maybe she could help him. But his pride forbade him from asking for help.

But his pride would never allow him to be upstaged by anyone, least of all a person he'd always considered to be below him.

Scowling, he climbed to his feet and walked over to the pink-haired girl. Apparently, even though she was looking right at him, she wasn't even seeing him. Off in her own little world of Sasuke's admitting eternal and unconditional love to her and her alone.

"Sakura," he said quietly, hating himself for needing to ask for help. "Why can't I do this?"

The girl blinked a few times before she finally focused on him. A large blush ran across her face as she glanced to the side. Somewhere deep inside his mind, where he allowed such thoughts, Sasuke found himself smiling at the girl's expression. She looked so damn cute like that!

"Well," she said nervously. "I guess it could be because you're not focusing enough on your chakra." Glancing back up at him, she hesitantly asked, "What are you thinking about that is interfering with your concentration?"

Sasuke didn't answer immediately. In his mind were memories of Naruto running up and down his tree while mockingly humming. Then there was Sakura sitting up high on a branch after her first try. These memories brought a small glare from him onto the girl in front of him inadvertently.

Gasping as though he'd hit her with his glare, Sakura looked away as her blush faded. Sasuke had to mentally smack himself. He was supposed to be asking for help, not scaring the person who was trying to help him.

"_Naruto_," Sasuke said in a voice thick with anger. "And you... It...It's _pissing_ me off. You both did it so easily…"

It pained him to say that. He hated revealing that he had any weaknesses to anyone, least of all his teammates. It was unbecoming for an Uchiha prodigy to admit that he couldn't do something as good as or better than everyone else. The Uchiha hadn't been the elite for nothing!

Understanding crept across Sakura face as she looked back up at him. Then a small blush lit up her face as she realized that he had been thinking about her, even if it was in jealousy.

"Well," she said again. "Maybe you try to focus more on the tree than on us. After all, you know that chakra is spiritual energy, so if you can't concentrate on it properly, you won't be able to use it too well. But...I think you should take a break, Sasuke-kun... You look a little tired."

Thinking about this for a moment, Sasuke nodded his head. That would explain why he kept slipping. He had every intention of returning to his training when his knees suddenly gave out from underneath him.

Dropping to the ground with as much dignity as he could muster, Sasuke did his best to ignore the surprised look in Sakura's eyes. Maybe he _should_ take a little more time off before returning to his training.

* * *

He sat on the pier looking out over the ocean. The sight was a beautiful contrast of reds, oranges, golds, and violets that were reflected off the clouds and water. However, this glorious image was lost on the man's single eye which was glazed over in thought.

In his mind played the information his Sharingan had absorbed while during his most recent fight. Though the Mizu Bunshin were nothing new to him, the Suiryuudan no Jutsu was an interesting new addition. As well as Oboro and Enmaku, from what Naruto called them. He hadn't meant to copy them but because the Sharingan was exposed and active, it couldn't be stopped.

While Enmaku was relatively easy in principle and execution, the fact that it was indeed a katon jutsu surprised him. It was no secret that it a person didn't use enough chakra to perform a katon jutsu, it would only waste the chakra used. Yet Enmaku used just barely over the minimum to form the smokescreen. And once the smoke was formed inside him, then he could begin to increase the chakra used to enhance the effective range of the smokescreen. A truly ingenious concept, especially from the one everyone called 'dead last.'

However, Oboro no Jutsu was above and beyond many ninjutsu that he'd ever seen. The fact that Naruto had literally done the handseals in front of him was the only reason he copied it. For once he engaged it, the chakra inside his body began to leak out and surround him. While to the naked eye it blurred Naruto's image, to the Sharingan it practically blinded him. Since the Sharingan is able to see a person's chakra inside their body, the fact Naruto's was encasing his body meant that all Kakashi could see was a bright glowing silhouette.

How could this kid have developed such a strange, but undeniably useful technique? It was no secret that the blonde was a notorious prankster who had adept sensory skills. But the fact that he'd never heard of the blonde's creation of this jutsu was like an itch, it wouldn't go away.

Behind him, he sensed Tazuna and Naruto's return. Tazuna seemed both content to be home after a long day's work and annoyed at the loud blonde's jubilant voice. Naruto was shouting about instantly leaving to train his chakra control. While before Kakashi might've believed him, now he wasn't so sure. Could the blonde simply be trying to find an excuse to go out and make another jutsu?

"Naruto!" he called out. "Come over here. I need to talk to you."

"Sensei," the blonde whined as he hurried over. "Can I go train now? I just spent an entire day doing absolutely nothing but watch an old man play economic-reconstruction!"

Tazuna snorted at that rude, if accurate, phrase before finally walking into his home. The smells coming from Tsunami's cooking were very alluring.

"Did you create those jutsu you used during the battle with Zabuza?" he asked, watching closely for any telltale signs of deception.

"Yeah, what of it?" the blonde demanded. "If that's all this is about, I wanna go train now!"

"Naruto," Kakashi's commanding voice froze the boy as he tried to walk away. "Why would you make such peculiar jutsus? You do realize that no normal shinobi could've just made them on a whim?"

"Hey, I'm not the Prankster Master for nothing!" the demon container snapped in his defense. "Besides, whoever said I was normal? And why would you even care why I made those jutsu?"

"You do realize that because of the Sharingan, I was able to copy them, right?" he asked, wondering on the blonde's reaction.

Naruto paled, quite visibly despite his tanned skin. In an instant he had grabbed Kakashi's vest and was with a glare in his eyes while he shouted directly into his face. "_WHAT!_ WHY WOULD YOU _DO_ THAT, BAKA-SENSEI? THOSE ARE _MY_ JUTSU! _I_ MADE THEM! WHAT GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO _STEAL_ THEM LIKE THAT!"

"Calm down," the jounin commanded, slightly caught off-balance due to the boy's threatening reaction. "I didn't mean to take them. I swear on my honor as a shinobi."

Reluctantly prying his hands off the man, Naruto fixed a deadly glare on the man. "Fine," he said in a deceptively calm tone. "I guess I can live with this. But if you teach _anyone_, especially Sasuke, _my_ jutsus, I swear you're going to regret it."

Kakashi nodded understandingly. He always had a similar fear when he was younger, back when he first created his prized jutsu and the Uchiha clan was still prominently in power.

"I see that you are protective of them," Kakashi said quietly. "But you're going to have a tough time keeping them secret once Sasuke gets his Sharingan eyes."

"What?" Naruto asked, his anger momentarily gone and replaced by confusion. "He has them too? How?"

"The Sharingan is a bloodline that is only found in the Uchiha clan," the jounin answered. He saw the suddenly calculating look in the blonde's eye and quickly spoke up before he could ask the obvious question. "I'm not an Uchiha. And no, I'm not going to talk about it."

"Sensei," Naruto said, looking up with a strange expression on his face. "What can the Sharingan actually do? Sasuke said it copies jutsus, but Zabuza said that wasn't all."

"Yes, that is true," Kakashi confirmed. He suddenly got the feeling that Naruto was being a lot more attentive and patient. This was information he wanted and felt that he needed to know. It was intriguing to the man to see this side of the terrible prankster's personality.

"The Sharingan can also see through most genjutsus, like the Byakugan," Kakashi said. "And also like the Byakugan, it can see how a person's chakra flows inside their body. Now, the stronger the Sharingan, the easier it is for that person to anticipate their opponent's moves. I can even enter my opponent's mind and implant 'suggestions' like which ninjutsu to use or how he'd react."

"That's…creepy," Naruto said, shuddering at the thought of having Sasuke doing such a thing to him.

"Yes, to a degree I guess it is," the man looked thoughtfully at the blonde for a moment before saying. "You probably don't realize it, Naruto. But you may have created a jutsu that could block the Sharingan."

"What?" Naruto looked surprised for a moment. Then it melted away into pride and eagerness. "Which one?"

"Oboro," he said. "Because the Sharingan sees an opponent's chakra flow inside their body, I can see how he molds it when he's casting jutsus. When you activated your Oboro no Jutsu, I couldn't see you anymore. With your chakra surrounding your body rather than being tucked away inside, it was like I was staring into fire. I could see your body, but not your features."

"And if you can't see them, you might not be able to see any handseals after I activate it during a fight," the blonde said quietly as a thoughtful expression passed over his face.

"Sensei," he said, looking up with a hopeful gleam in his eye. "Is it possible that I have bloodline like the Sharingan?"

Kakashi blinked for a moment. Then he smiled. "Possible, but I highly doubt it. Bloodline limits are rare and only the best of clans or families have them in Konoha. Seeing as how you're an orphan, it wouldn't be unfair to say you could but the chances aren't in your favor."

This brought a scowl to the boy's face.

"Sensei, we're back!" called an overly excited feminine voice.

Looking over, the pair caught a glimpse of Sasuke and Sakura returning from the forest. Both looked to be exhausted, though Sasuke was clearly the one to have been doing any serious training. What seemed especially odd was Sakura was holding Sasuke's hand and he wasn't protesting. Or maybe he was simply too tired to.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled, large happy eyes lighting his face. "How was training? Did you get any better? Sasuke-teme still having trouble?"

"Shut up, Naruto!" both genin yelled as they made their way towards the house.

Kakashi absentmindedly reached into his pocket and pulled out his Icha Icha Paradise. He'd been yearning to read it all day but blonde enigma was eating away at his curiosity. Now that he was at least partially sated, he felt safe to return to a familiar hobby. Yet he didn't miss the suspicious glance from Sasuke that bounced from him to Naruto and back.

_Jealous, eh?_ He thought that seemed incredibly ridiculous. The Number 1 Rookie jealous of the dead last because he was having a private conversation with their sensei? Perhaps he should give the Uchiha some extra attention in the near future to dispel that line of thought.

* * *

He had never really trained for a cause before. Naruto had always trained for himself. Learning the basics and above of chakra control well before his classmates. Straining his body to move perform his katas as perfectly as he could without a sparring partner. Usually he even went long into the night trying to finally gain mastery over an exercise or jutsu. Yet all that had never been for any other reason than to reach his own goals.

Now he felt a new determination welling up inside of himself. This feeling of doing something for someone else was a very empowering feeling. The rush it gave him was enough to make him forget his tired body and to push himself well past his normal limits.

He was going to show Inari that heroes do exist. If he could get stronger faster, then he could protect everyone easier sooner. And there was little doubt in his mind that he would need all the strength he could get in the near future, with Zabuza still alive.

But it was because of this empowering feeling that he pushed himself too far. Somewhere around four in the morning, he finally collapsed of exhaustion in both body and chakra depletion.

Around him in the small clearing was kicked up piles of leaves and grass. Several trees had puncture marks that looked like a large but short blade or hammer of some sort had been thrust into them.

Snoring fitfully, he lay ignorant of the birds that landed on him. Not the bird that stood on his headband and was chirping quite loudly could awaken him. Those were natural sounds and smells that his mind and body ignored, even in his sleep. But a new scent wafted up into his nose. It was foreign to nature, thus potential dangerous. In an instant, his mind was awakened and his eyes snapped open with his hand snapping automatically to his kunai pouch.

What he saw was a slender figure standing over him starting to reach down, probably to poke him. With the way the hair was so long and silky, it seemed to Naruto that this was young girl about his age.

She wore a slightly surprised gaze due to the abruptness that he'd awoken. But she quickly covered it with a kind smile as she knelt down next to him saying, "You shouldn't sleep out here or you'll catch a cold."

"Who are you?" he asked, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Just a friend," she said simply. "But you can call me Haku."

"Haku?" he said, looking at her. "Hm, well I'm Uzumaki Naruto…What are you doing out here?"

"I was collecting herbs to be used in an ointment I'm making," Haku answered, smiling again.

"An ointment?" he questioned. "You mean to heal someone? Can I help?"

"Sure."

And just like that, Naruto set about helping gather the plants to help this person. It was actually kind of relaxing to him to do it. To go through the various plants on the ground, looking for the specific kinds, and picking them helped to relieve a bit of tension that had been building up in his body for sometime.

"Thanks for helping out," Haku said when the basket was noticeably fuller.

"You sure are working early," Naruto observed as he sat down on the ground.

"You too," Haku pointed out. "What are you doing here at this time of the morning?"

Chuckling at the memories of his own teammates asking him that very question only a several days ago, he answered honestly, if bluntly. "I'm training!"

"Really? Wow!" Haku said. "But…why are you training?"

"Because I need to become stronger!"

"But you look pretty strong already," the strange girl said quietly. It was indeed true. Though they were mostly hidden underneath his jacket, Naruto's muscular arms were leaving distinguishable bulges in his sleeves.

"No, I need to be stronger!" he said, waving his arms for emphasis. "That's the only way I can prove that heroes exist!"

"Heroes?" Haku asked. "What do you mean?"

"I need to prove to a gaki that just because his father died, there are still heroes in the world." Naruto said proudly.

"Really," Haku said, slightly disappointed. "So you train for other's to recognize you?"

"Eh?" the look of confusion on his face brought small chuckles for Haku. "What's so funny?"

After regaining some composure, Haku asked the question that would change Naruto's life. "Do you have someone who is important to you?"

Naruto's confusion only deepened. _What is this girl trying to say?_

Thoughts of Haku's own precious person brought a wave of snapshot memories through him. Though many were not happy, they were content with knowing he'd found someone who didn't hate him for his bloodline.

Looking up after being drawn reluctantly from his memories, Haku looked thoughtfully at Naruto. "When a person has something important to protect," he said in gentle but serious voice. "that's when they truly become strong."

Memories flashed through Naruto's mind. Memories of the power he'd discovered when he saved Iruka-sensei. Memories of the safety he'd felt when Kakashi told them he wouldn't let them die to Zabuza. In that instant he fully understood what Haku was saying.

"Yup!" he said happily. "I understand that very well, onee-san!"

This brought a small smile from Haku. Then remembering that Zabuza needed these new herbs, he stood up and started to walk away. Stopping momentarily, he said, "You will become strong…Let's meet again somewhere."

"Sure!" Naruto called out happily.

"Oh, and…" Haku had his back turned so he couldn't see what Naruto's reaction would be. But he was willing to bet it would've been hilarious to watch. "I'm a boy."

Haku's silent prediction came true. It was hilarious, especially with the way his jaw seem to nearly drop off his face.

_No way!_ was the only coherent thought in his mind. _He's prettier than Sakura-chan!_

Haku was leaving the clearing when he spotted the other boy from the genin team approaching. He continued on his path, ignoring the questioning look on the boy's face as he passed.

Deciding to ignore the strange boy, Sasuke walked forward to where he could sense Naruto's chakra. He found the blonde sitting on the ground, seemingly contemplating deep thoughts while mumbling to himself.

"I've seen a _lot_ of weird stuff in the world," the blonde was saying as the Uchiha approached. "But _this one_ takes the cake!"

If he had anymore enlightening speeches, it was not to be as the arrogant Uchiha smacked him over the head. Grasping his throbbing cranium, Naruto glared up at his rival

"What was that for, teme?" he demanded angrily. It was too early to get into a fight already.

"What were you and Kakashi-sensei talking about last night?" Sasuke demanded with an equal amount of anger.

It struck as the only plausible explanation; Kakashi was giving Naruto private lessons outside of team practices and missions. Why else would the dobe be able to perfect the tree-climbing after only a few tries? Or how the dobe could walk on water, which was supposed very advanced chakra control for any genin?

"That is a secret," Naruto said simply as he crossed his arms defiantly.

Not in the mood to play games with the dobe, Sasuke glared at the blonde. Then he simply turned with his patented grunt of 'hn.' He had training to do and he didn't have time to waste it on a baka like this.

* * *

Whew! What a rush! I always get so caught up in my writing that I forget how long some chapters can become. I hope thing will satisfy those of you who always desire longer chapters. If you want something that is really going to be different in this story, just wait for the chapter. I promise that the fight with Haku/Zabuza is going to be completely different from the anime/manga. That is a promise and vow on my reputation as an author!

Touzoku—thief

Gaki—brat


	12. Bloody Mist

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan **

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 12—Bloody Mist _

It was a fruitful evening for the young boy. In the span of a few hours, he had created, honed, and perfected his first serious attack-style jutsu. He called it Fuuton: Kaze Kiwa no Jutsu; the wind edge. He based it heavily off of the other jutsu that he was creating. But it was because he already had a good grasp of controlling chakra, he was able to perfect the jutsu in only one afternoon.

It used the principles of the compressed and spinning chakra, only he replaced it with chakra-charged air, and it circled his hand. The tightly compressed and spinning air was strong enough to effectively cut through anything he happened to take a slash at: trees, water, even boulders. It needed four handseals, compared to its cousin the Kaze Tate that needed three. But it ate away at his chakra at a surprisingly fast rate just to maintain it.

For this reason, Naruto stumbled into the house that evening. He was utterly exhausted, but very happy to have finally done something that he saw as worthwhile since learning to tree-climb.

Dropping himself into the first empty chair he found, he flashed everyone with a delighted grin before promptly closing his eyes and dozing off. Tsunami smiled sweetly at the blonde from the kitchen counter where she was preparing dinner. Kakashi and Tazuna shared a confused look at the boy's antics.

Naruto's good mood didn't even get ruined when Sasuke and Sakura limped inside. If anything, Naruto's amusement was increased at the sight of Sakura half carrying a nearly unconscious Sasuke into the house. Both looked as worn-out and as filthy as he felt. It seemed that Sasuke hadn't stopped once since he started earlier that morning and had even persuaded Sakura to join in for a while.

It seemed as though Sasuke wouldn't stop his training until he was able to have the same proficiency as Naruto and Sakura. The pink-haired kunoichi proudly reported to Kakashi that he was now able to tree climb as well as her. Normally Naruto would've poked fun at Sasuke for looking like he just crawled out of a swamp or something. But tonight, Naruto was simply too tired to really care so he let it go.

After a fast meal, Sakura was quick to take Sasuke to bed. If Sasuke hadn't been so tired, he would've protested about having her directing his actions. But since he was exhausted, he didn't give it a second thought once his head touched the pillow.

Naruto too looked like he was about to fall asleep where he sat. His grin was quite large despite the drooping eyes. He was almost positive that nothing could ruin this good mood.

Oh how wrong he was, as Inari proved when he spoke up.

* * *

The next morning there was a light mist in the air that brought with it a chill. It was calm, not even hardly a breeze to disturb the serene quietness of the early dawn. In the silence of the morning, a pair of predators watched their prey. 

The simple-minded workers were feeling a growing excitement about their work. It was nearly finished. Soon the tyrant that had ruined their lives would finally lose his control over their homeland. But with this increased excitement came increased fear. For because they were drawing close to completion, they knew they were drawing inevitably closer to death.

Smirking silently at the men as they looked about in confusion at the thickening mist, he felt his own kind of excitement rise. For today he would fight with the infamous Copycat-nin again and this time he was ready for the Sharingan.

Yet, maybe he should have a little fun with these workers first. Gatou would probably want them killed anyway and he could always force the greedy runt to pay extra for these unnecessary kills.

With this thought in mind, Zabuza hefted his sword and walked calmly forward. Behind him, Haku waited patiently for his partner and role model to have his fun.

* * *

"What about Naruto?" Tsunami asked as she watched the other shinobi and her father walk out of the house. 

"He's pushed himself too far," Kakashi said. "I don't think he'll be able to get out of bed until later this evening. Please look after him until then."

"Sure," she said easily. "No problem."

"Alright, let's go," Kakashi said as he turned back to Sasuke and Sakura.

Privately he was amazed that they had recovered enough of their chakra after only a little bit of rest. When he was their age and suffering from chakra depletion, he'd be out for at least a fullday. _Then again_, he privately reevaluated. _They weren't quite as strong as I was at that age, despite their increasing reserves_.

* * *

Scarcely fifteen minutes after they left, Naruto suddenly awoke. It wasn't that he sensed something was wrong. It was because he no longer smelled the familiar scents of his teammates or Tazuna anymore. 

Springing to his feet, he dashed over to where he knew Tsunami would be. As soon as he saw her, he skidded to a halt while loudly calling out. "Hey! Hey! Where's everyone!"

Looking up in surprise from her sewing a rip in one of Inari's shirts, Tsunami stared at the boy. "Oh you're awake already?"

Naruto's impatient, but not angry, glare brought out the desired information. "Kakashi-sensei said that you should rest—"

Yelling out angrily, the blonde promptly turned-tail and raced back to his room while shouting, "I knew it! THEY DITCHED ME!"

Not even five seconds had passed before Tsunami saw Naruto racing back out of the room fully dressed. Well, as long as you didn't count him still pulling on his sandals. He sprinted past the mother and son as he called out, "See ya later!"

Once he was out the door, he sprinted for the tree cover. He would make faster time up there rather than on the ground. His cheerful mood from last night was gone. All he felt now was resentment that they'd left him behind.

Yet not even in this state of mind did he fail to notice that in a slight change of wind were there two new scents. _What the…?_

* * *

"What the—what happened here!" Tazuna shouted in outrage and fear. 

As the bridge builder ran up to the only one who was still barely alive, the shinobi were analyzing the scene. The bridge was littered with the bodies of the workers. The pools of blood surrounding each man were still growing larger. This suggested that this had happened only a little while ago.

Kakashi noticed the mist suddenly growing thicker, too thick to be natural. Then he sensed the presences of two beings approaching from behind them. He snapped into high-alert as he barked out, "Get ready! Here they come!"

Sasuke and Sakura immediately tensed as they snatched out kunai and formed a protective ring around Tazuna.

An excitement was building up inside of Sasuke. Last time, the feeling that was now surrounding him had paralyzed him in fear. Now, it was different. He felt stronger, confident. He knew he could handle this situation now. But that didn't change the fact that his body was shaking quite visibly.

"Sensei," Sakura asked with nervousness heavy in her voice. "Is this the Kirikagure no Jutsu?"

She didn't get an answer. For at that moment a sinister and familiar chuckling erupted around them. Then a familiar voice said, "Long time no see, Kakashi."

"I see you're still with the brats," Zabuza said. "It's too bad they won't live long though. Look at that one, he's shaking with fear again."

Then the mist around them cleared to reveal a half dozen mizu bunshins, all with their swords at the ready. Finally seeing his target, Sasuke spoke up with a conviction that left no doubt in anyone's mind that he was being anything but serious.

"I'm shaking with _excitement_."

* * *

He watched the pair in silence. He was a predator expertly stalking prey that had ventured too close to his den.

The pair of them were clearly shinobi due to their headbands. The symbols on the headbands made it abundantly clear that these shinobi were probably from Kirigakure. Based on their apparent age, appearance, and the lack of the standard chuunin vest, he guessed they were probably upper level genin. The leader of the pair was the older of them, probably close to sixteen. The other, no doubt twelve, seemed to resent the teen's leadership but obeyed nonetheless.

He watched them from the safety of the tree canopy as they dashed for the house Tazuna lived in. They stopped and after a series of silent hand signals split up. He followed the closest one as he scouted around the house, apparently looking for someone or something. Meeting up with his partner on the other side, they held a whispered conference.

Then they marched cockily up to the front door. He wasn't sure what they wanted, but if they did anything threatening towards either being still inside that building, they would pay dearly for it.

As if mocking his resolution, one of the boys threw a chakra enhanced punch that knocked a hole through the door while tearing it off its hinges and announcing the pair's arrival. Snarling at this blatant display of strength and arrogance, he dropped down from his perch and approached silently while forming a plan in his head.

Inside he heard Tsunami's panicked scream soon followed by Inari's scared call for his mother. Instinctively increasing the speed of his run, Naruto reached the entrance in time to see the Mist-nin knock Inari back down the hall from which he had come running.

"It's such a same that we can't have a little fun with such a pretty thing," the teenaged Mist-nin was holding an unconscious Tsunami in his arms as he said this. He had what Naruto could only call as a lustful gleam in his eyes; his hands started trailing down her body.

Not if _he_ had any say in the matter.

"Leave her alone!" he yelled, dropping into an aggressive taijutsu stance as he yanked out a pair of shuriken.

"Oh look," the youngest of the pair said with an obvious sneer. "The blonde's gonna play 'hero.' Isn't that sweet!"

"Shut up and kill the gaki already!" the older barked as he returned his gaze to Tsunami. "I wanna have so fun here."

"I said," Naruto said softly, slowly raising his hand that held the shuriken. "'_LEAVE HER ALONE!_'" With that yell, he threw the shuriken straight the one caressing Tsunami.

The arrogant shinobi smirk as he brought up a kunai to block the shuriken. But he wasn't prepared for the weapons to suddenly transform into kage bunshins. Caught by surprise, he was unable to block the fist that the closest one threw into his face. As he was thrown back, he automatically dropped Tsunami who was caught easily by the second bunshin.

"What the?" the younger Mist-nin was able to gasp out in surprise before something very hard smacked him over the head from behind. The young genin slumped over unconscious to reveal a terrified looking Inari holding a badly dented frying pan.

"Good job, Inari!" Naruto called as he approached as the bunshin holding Tsunami backed out of the hallway and into the closest room.

He and his free bunshin faced the older genin as he reoriented himself. With a disgusted glare, he pulled out a second kunai as he watched the two Naruto closely.

"What the fuck was that?" he demanded. "Bunshins can't fight!"

"Who said these are Bunshins?" the two Naruto asked simultaneously.

Scowling angrily, the Mist genin threw one of his kunai. He knew that he couldn't fight against an opponent who could create clones that could fight back. So his best bet was to separate them and knockout the real or destroy the clone to get to Tsunami and finish his mission.

The kunai went straight for Inari. Only to be intercepted by another kunai thrown from the other end of the hall. It was from the second bunshin who'd carried Tsunami away.

_This isn't good_, the teenager realized too late. His attention was returned to the pair in front of him as they began a short series of handseals. He almost let out a sigh of relief when the handseals didn't end with the feared tora seal.

Yet his relief was short-lived as he watched chakra and wind suddenly begin swirling around the pair's right arms. They had their hands straight, fingers connected and forming a blade like appearance.

"You're very unlucky—" Naruto said.

"—because you'll be the first person I test this jutsu on," his clone finished.

Dashing forward, the pair split and attacked from different angles. The Mist-nin only had time to dodge one. But the other was in his face before he could react. With stabbing thrust, the blonde brought his hand forward and into his shoulder.

It felt as though the boy had stabbed him with a kunai. But as he brought his arm out, in an upward sweep, the slashing wind continued to cut and tear at his arm, leaving a large gaping trench in his shoulder. The Mist-nin heard loud, pain-filled screaming from somewhere nearby and soon realized it was him. Thankfully, he was saved from further pain as the blonde he'd dodged came back. He was whacked smartly on the back of the neck and crumpled unconscious on the floor.

Dropping the Kaze Kiwa and his Kage Bunshins, Naruto instantly began to regret his creation of this jutsu. It was the very reason he was trying so hard to make that drilling jutsu. The sight of the quickly growing puddle of blood on the floor was making his stomach as queasy as he'd thought it would be. Why did he have to make this jutsu?

Hearing scared whimpering behind him, Naruto faced Inari. The young boy also had a slightly pale face as he tried to not look at the blood pool. Sighing, Naruto tried his best to ignore it as he picked up the Mist-nin and quickly dragged him outside. Seeing this, Inari tried to copy it with the nin he'd knocked out. He didn't get too far until a new Kage Bunshin appeared to help him.

He was quick to bandage the wound and tie the pair up to a nearby tree. After a bit of encouragement to the still scared Inari, Naruto left for the bridge while leaving a kage bunshin to clean up the mess that he'd left behind.

* * *

She didn't know what to do. Kakashi-sensei was too busy keeping Zabuza away from her and Tazuna to be able to help Sasuke. And she knew that she couldn't leave Tazuna to help Sasuke. The Uchiha had been trapped inside a series of ice mirrors that that fake hunter-nin had created. Though after a while Sakura could tell that Sasuke had started to dodge the senbon needles a little easier, her relief was short-lived. 

On the inside, she glimpsed Sasuke going through a series of handseals just before a large blast of flames impacted on the mirrors. Where normal ice would've melted in an instant, the ice mirrors remained and barely had a layer of steam coming off.

If Sakura had been paying attention to her sensei, she would've seen him casting a furious glare at Haku. Then something did draw her attention momentarily to him as he began fighting with Zabuza. Kakashi was careful to knock the Mist jounin away from Tazuna at every chance he got.

Apparently the hunter-nin had been going easy on Sasuke before. Now he was throwing senbon too fast for even Sasuke-kun to dodge. The Uchiha now resembled a human pincushion and it was breaking her heart to know that she couldn't help him.

Then she heard a final choked cry from Sasuke as all sound of fighting inside the dome stopped. What had happened? The answer came to her soon enough. Haku slowly climbed out of his mirror.

Once he was completely out, they began to melt and fall the ground as nothing more than cold water. They revealed Sasuke lying on the ground with a pair of senbon needles in his throat. He lay there, unmoving on the ground.

A feeling of panic overrode her fear. Whereas before, she felt safe knowing that Sasuke was nearby and would probably protect her from anything. Now she was staring at his body and came to a chilling conclusion. He was dead.

This boy had killed him.

Somewhere inside herself she felt something break. Something that had always shielded her from the horrors that around her in the world was gone now. In that instant, she felt her innocence be taken from her forever.

Then, where her innocence had been, she felt her 'inner Sakura' suddenly gaining an enormous presence inside her. Fueled by unconditional and blind rage of a level she had never felt before, Sakura allowed herself to be taken over by her inner self.

She didn't even stop to consider what she was doing. All her focus was on killing this creature that had emotionlessly killed her beloved. The fact take she'd left Tazuna behind in her automatic rush for the murderer before her didn't even register in her mind. To her, it was just him and her on a battlefield now.

Forming a trio of bunshins to go running with her, she watched as Haku calmly waited for her. This infuriated her even more. With a bestial roar, she cast a pair of shuriken at him. Using the approaching projectiles to map her approximate location, Haku deflected them and dashed for her at a speed he knew she couldn't follow. It took a single punch to her gut to send her careening back the way she came with the bunshins disappearing at her sudden lack of focus.

So he thought that he was better than her because he could smack her around like Sasuke-kun! He's going to pay for that! Climbing to her feet, she once again rushed him in a blind rage. This time she didn't even try to form bunshins. All she was going to do was pummel this beast into a bloody paste. Then she was going to turn her wrath on the one who no doubt trained him.

As if sensing her intentions, Haku snapped out several senbon. They pierced her legs and arms, causing her limbs to go numb and have her stumble. He watched impassively as she still continued to try to crawl over to him. There was a fire in her eyes that he'd never seen before. Why? Because of what happened to that boy?

As she drew closer, he heard incoherent growling coming from her throat. It was as though she'd become possessed by a demon. Slightly unnerved by her actions, he chose to end this 'fight' now. With two well-placed senbon, he watched as she finally fell to ground with blood escaping from the wounds.

With a resigned sigh, he glanced back at Kakashi and Zabuza. They were obviously locked in combat judging from the thick mist surrounding that section of the bridge. From what he could sense, they seemed to be about on an even footing.

Returning his attention to their target, he began a slow walk forward. He watched as the now unprotected man began to cower in utter fear. Just as he was reaching for his senbon needles, Haku sensed a new presence coming from...

_Behind_ him?

Turning abruptly, he stared in surprise at a familiar orange jumpsuit. The blonde, Naruto, he remembered, was standing over the girl with his back turned to Haku. Haku could see him visibly trembling with fury as he clutched his fists. How did Naruto get behind him without him sensing him sooner?

Naruto was breathing very heavily. Whether it was from exertion from traveling as fast as he could to get here or from the emotional trauma he was no doubt experiencing was debatable.

But one thing was certain; when he spoke, his voice was not the same.

* * *

After boasting to Inari about how the hero always arrives late, he felt as if he'd failed. If he was the hero here, he was a very poor one. He didn't arrive late. He arrived _too_ late. 

In his mind played memories of his past and the times he'd spent with his teammates. Memories, whether good or bad, that he couldn't help but play through his mind.

* * *

_"Don't let me catch you in my store again, Uzumaki!" a man yelled dangerously from inside the store that Naruto had made a rather ungraceful exit from. Not waiting for a reply, the man slammed the door shut. _

_"When I become Hokage, I'm gonna cook your ass over a slow fire, teme," the blonde growled moodily, more to himself than anyone else. _

_"Hn," Sasuke smirked conceitedly, which drew Naruto's attention. "The day you become a Kage will be a sad day indeed." _

_"Shut up, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto yelled as he bounced to his feet. _

_"A dobe will never be anything other than a dobe, baka," Sasuke said as he started to walk away. He knew he was pushing Naruto's buttons, but he was bored. _

* * *

_"Naruto!" Sakura snapped. "Hey, stop glaring at Sasuke!" _

_The blonde spared the pink-haired girl a small, hurt glance. Then he promptly returned to glaring and scrutinizing the Uchiha. Sasuke returned the glare full force, making a mental note to beat the crap out of the blonde later. _

_This glaring contest turned out to be a big mistake on both their parts as another genin-hopeful accidentally bumped into Naruto. The bump, however soft, was more than enough to send the blonde face first into Sasuke's face. Though it lasted scarcely a nanosecond, they broke apart and immediately started to gag like they'd been poisoned. _

_It was only when a wave of killing desire washed over him that Naruto felt it. _Danger!

_"Naruto," Sakura said in deceptively calm voice, speaking for the girls behind and beside her. "You are so dead." _

* * *

_Yelping in surprise, he skidded to a stop a few feet away from Sasuke. Crouching down, the boy demanded, "Sasuke, what are you doing here? How did you get loose?" _

_"I used the escape jutsu," he said, smirking at the blonde's angry expression. "Nothing to it; it's a very basic technique…Why did you do that, henge into me?" _

_Glaring at the Uchiha, he growled out, "I thought it would be fun to try out my jutsus on you, so I did!" _

_He formed five Kage Bunshins dived for him while preparing to use Enmaku no Jutsu. Grunting in aggravation, Sasuke said, "The same jutsu again?" _

_"Last time I went easy on you," one Naruto snapped. "This time you're going down for the count! Get ready, Sasuke!" _

_Then five loud groans from the blondes' stomachs roared through the hallway. The boys dropped unceremoniously to the ground, each clutching his stomach. Then they turned and ran for the restroom. _

_"What a loser," Sasuke muttered as he turned around and took the long way back to the classroom. _

* * *

_Then the sound of an alarm going off attracted all their attentions. Then realization descended upon them, not a single one of them got a bell! _

_"Oh, Sakura?" a familiar voice called sweetly from the tree cover. Looking up, the genins spotted their jounin instructor leaning on a tree trunk. He had what could only be considered as evil gleam in his eye as he gazed at the girl. _

_"H-hai, sensei?" she answered, suddenly realizing that she was in trouble. _

_"Did you try to get a bell?" he asked nonchalantly. _

_Sakura stared at him; she was indeed in very big trouble. "N-no, sensei…" _

_"You know what that means?" _

_"Not the post, sensei!" _

_His only reply was what they'd come to call his 'smiling eye.' _

* * *

Both of which were now dead. 

Emptiness opened up inside of him. They were dead. His friends and teammates were longer with him. No more bugging Sakura for a date, even when he didn't want to either. No more glares from Sasuke, which he hated. No more fearing about his teammates bugging him about his secret jutsus, which he treasured. Never again would he be able to mock Sasuke when he finally allowed himself to be able to do something better than the Uchiha. Never again would Sakura yell at him for being loud and annoying.

They were gone.

He didn't care what was happening around him anymore. He didn't even realize that he'd sunk to his knees and was crouched over Sakura's body. All he felt was a festering anger growing inside of himself. He was angry at himself for being too slow to arrive. He was angry for working over his limits to make a jutsu he quickly realized he didn't want. He was angry that he did the one thing that even baka-sensei said he wouldn't do.

He let them die.

Rage was building inside of him. He didn't try to control it. If anything, he fed the flames and sharpened the edges of his wrath. But for all his fury, one thought prevailed through his mind. They would never be coming back.

"You are too late to save them," Haku said quietly, somehow knowing that he could hear him. "But you should be proud; they died honorable deaths."

"Shut up," Naruto growled.

Haku didn't know if it was his imagination or not, but something suddenly seemed different about the blonde. A fight or flight instinct kicked in with warning bells going off for him to flee as far and as fast as he could. But he suppressed that urge and instead created a series of mizu bunshins in front of himself.

"Now it is your turn to die," Haku said as his mizu bunshins all withdrew several senbon needles.

"**Shut up!**" Naruto yelled.

No, it definitely wasn't his imagination. The blonde's voice had definitely changed. It was deeper, throatier, and sounded much more menacing. Suddenly he felt an awful feeling of unconditional fear wash over him as he saw red chakra begin spiraling around the boy.

If a person's wrath was ever palpable thing, this boy had just become the living incarnate of it. Turning around from his position on the ground, Naruto glared blood-red, slitted eyes at Haku. It was then that Haku suddenly noted the physical changes that had come with boy's wrath.

As the boy steadied himself on the ground while preparing to lunge forward, Haku spotted vicious claws where his fingernails had been. Naruto was glaring at him with tear-stricken cheeks which now the whisker marks had become much broader and darker. His mouth was pulled into a snarl that exposed elongated canines and slightly sharpened teeth. The swirling red chakra was gathering around his body, forming a vague silhouette around the boy.

Haku found himself fearing for his life for the first time in a long time. The amount of malicious chakra that he could sense radiating from the boy was nearly double even what Zabuza could ever achieve. Combined with fiercest killer intent he'd ever felt before, Haku suddenly realized that he was before a power he had no chance against.

"**I'M GONNA _KILL_ YOU!**"

It wasn't a statement. It was a promise.

* * *

Deep inside the Kirigakure no Jutsu, Zabuza and Kakashi had been blissfully unaware of what was happening until a suddenly a wave of foul chakra washed over them. Both stopped in their tracks as they felt unconditional shivers of fear rush down their spines. 

_What's this chakra?_ Zabuza wondered. _It's far too powerful to be Kakashi. Something's wrong_.

_Naruto? When did he get here? _Kakashi's worries, however, were much more realistic. He recognized this awful feeling quickly. There had only been one creature that he'd ever had the misfortune of coming across that held such furious and foul presence. _Kyuubi. This is bad. Could it be the seal has been broken_?

After a moment of deep searching, he found it. It was weak in the overpowering feel of the chakra presence, but it was still there. Naruto was still alive. The seal hadn't been broken; else his soul would've been destroyed very quickly. No, it was still there; just buried under the ocean of hatred that he'd somehow summoned.

Snatching a scroll from one of his pockets, Kakashi took a dab of blood from the slash across his chest and smeared on the now opened summoning scroll. It was time to end this, and fast. If he did, he might be in time to stop Naruto was fully allowing his inner demon to take control.

* * *

_Here he comes!_

Haku and his mizu bunshins had only a split second to launch their senbon onto the enraged blonde. But that second was more than enough time. The blonde faltered in his attack as the needles pierced his legs, arms, and abdomen. Stumbling to the ground, he fought to stand up again.

Using the blonde's disorientation, Haku and his mizu bunshins surrounded the blonde. They were in the process of casting more senbon when Naruto suddenly found his strength. Standing up, he threw his arms back as a burst of chakra blasted the needles out of his body.

The needles impacted with Haku and his clones. The clones were reduced to puddles of water while Haku tried to stay focused on the boy. Quickly removing the few senbon that had buried themselves in his body, Haku went through familiar one-handed seals.

Naruto was just about to lunge at the last remaining Haku when he noticed something around him. The air had gotten cold as water droplets rose from the ground and began forming needles. They were everywhere. No way could he dodge them all.

When the needles came dashing in toward him, he pumped as much chakra as he could into a series of handseals. Haku watched in confusion as the blonde's hands blurred momentarily. Then an enormous gust of wind kicked up and surrounded him. All the needles were deflected and sent flying away in all directions.

Before Haku could think of something else to do, the blonde rushed forward again. With a burst of speed far superior to anything he could do, even inside his ice mirror jutsu, Naruto got behind him and brought his fist up. Only this time, Haku could not dodge. He watched as the blonde approached with what felt an eternity even if it was little more than a second. Naruto's fist was coming and he couldn't react.

The punch to the face was the most powerful he'd ever come across before. It sent him flying a great distance away. Once he came to a halt, Haku weakly crawled to his feet. The mask he was wearing now mirrored what his face felt like: completely shattered and falling off in pieces.

Seeing his enemy still alive, Naruto came rushing forward again. Haku watched in despair as the proof of what he'd feared came rushing at him. He could not beat this small genin. If he couldn't beat him, then he'd failed Zabuza. This thought was what kept him from trying to retaliate.

If he'd failed Zabuza, then he was of no use to him anymore, a weapon who'd outlived his usefulness. He watched impassively while his mask crumbled, breaking apart and falling limply to the groundas the enraged Naruto came charging forward; no doubt aiming to kill this time.

* * *

He had no doubt that the pair would fail. In fact, he hoped they would; it would be much cheaper that way. Jounin, especially missing-nins, were terribly expensive due to their wanted status, they had to overcharge their clients even if they didn't want to. 

Normally he wouldn't degrade himself to come to the scene of such a pointless battle. But this time it was special. He wanted to see this beast and his puppet die. Because they had hurt, much less _touched_, his precious figure the reward was death.

He brought with him a group of samurai that, together, had the same price as Zabuza. If was lucky, Zabuza would kill most of them before finally biting the bullet. The fact that he was backed by such a large group gave him a sense of power. It was this sense that led to the situation he was in now.

Because of his superiority complex, he'd taken the liberty to kick the body of the impudent whelp who'd dared harm him. It was an obvious show of disrespect. And he enjoyed it immensely. His enjoyment was only increased by the fact that Zabuza was so badly wounded that he no longer could use his arms. The Mist-nin couldn't retaliate if he'd wanted to.

Then the troublesome Leaf-nins interfered. Namely the blonde loudmouth who'd accidentally killed the boy under Gatou feet in his rage. Somehow, the blonde's words melted the ice surrounding the 'Demon of the Mist's' heart.

Gatou was a coward. He lived his life trusting his 'fight-or-flight' instincts. While they had been ringing since he'd decided to come here and mock the shinobi, they suddenly sounded out a thousand-fold as he watched Zabuza do the only thing he could. The man chewed away the bandages around his jaw and asked for a kunai from the blonde.

Upon seeing the immense and unfaltering killer intent in the demon's eyes, Gatou realized his mistake. He'd left the safety of his samurai behind! Turning, he rushed back toward them and the boat all the while yelling for them to kill him.

Now he was safely at the back of the ronin samurai. The sounds of screams of pain and death were thick in the air. He couldn't help but smirk arrogantly. It didn't matter how strong, deadly, or fast a shinobi was. There was no way they could get through all these men and still live.

Then he spotted Zabuza among all the bodies. The demon was impaled by spears, daggers, katanas, and just about every imaginable weapon a samurai could carry. But the man was like a juggernaut, he wasn't going to be stopped until he'd reached his goal.

Gatou.

With a gurgled scream of horror, Gatou watched as the embodiment of death approached him. There was nothing he could do. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but question his fatal pride and bloated ego as to why he'd come to a battlefield when he knew it was not safe for his precious figure.

Because he had a superiority complex.

He had never once considered it would be the death of him. This was his last thought as Zabuza closed in on him and, with a single slash, beheaded the greedy businessman.

* * *

It was cold and dark. He was in pain everywhere. Nothing could be done to make it stop. But it was because of this pain that he was able to wake up. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to think. It just plain _hurt_! 

Where was he? What was he doing that would put him through so much misery? And...Why was it so cold?

Cold...Ice...That boy!

Eyes snapping open, Sasuke tried to sit up but it was painful. He felt numbness and sharp pain throughout his entire body. Ignoring it as best he could, he was finally able to lift himself up into a sitting position.

Upon seeing the senbon sticking out of his body and numerous cuts and scrapes, he began to gently remove them. With the sudden removal of each individual needle, the pain would vanish and be replaced by a dull throbbing. He was finding it easier to move with every needle that was taken out of him.

When he felt the pair of needles in his throat, he couldn't help but question why he was still alive. Shouldn't he be dead if they were in his throat? Deciding that it wasn't worth his time to question good fortune, Sasuke was quick to remove them.

Standing weakly up, he glanced down the bridge. He spotted Kakashi and Naruto standing of the far end of the bridge, facing a large but disordered group of samurai. On the other end of the bridge, he saw a terrified Tazuna cowering behind a large pile of boxes and stone blocks.

But what drew his attention was the buddle of pink hair on the bridge not too far away from him. Stumbling over, he looked down at Sakura's limp form. She too had senbon sticking out of her at odd angles, as well as the telltale pair in the throat.

Kneeling down, Sasuke pulled the weapons out of her as gently as he could while studying the areas that she'd been hit in. There was not one vital spot punctured, only superficial wounds meant to distract or disable the opponent. Now why would he have to give her such wounds? Surely Sakura wasn't crazy enough to attack him alone when not even he stood at chance against the hunter-nin. But the wounds didn't lie; she must've done it.

A small groan drew his attention back to her as she opened her eyes. For the briefest of moments, they just stared at one another. Then she did something that he was far from being prepared for.

"Sasuke-kun!" she yelled out with mixed emotions.

He had been ready for that and even when she pounced on him. It was so predictable. But when she gave him a fierce, passionate kiss on the lips he froze. He didn't know what she was thinking that would drive her to do this, but that point seemed irrelevant. The only thing he was aware of was her soft lips on his own and his increasingly warming cheeks as his face was consumed by a blush.

Then he finally regained his composure and tried to pry himself off her or as much of himself as she would let him. How did she get so strong all of a sudden?

"I thought you were dead!" Sakura wailed as tears began gushing out of her eyes and soaked into his shirt.

"What happened?" he asked finally. "Where's that masked kid?"

"I don't know," she sobbed. "I don't care! You're alive!"

"Sakura," Sasuke said with an obvious warning in his voice. "Please let go of me."

Very reluctantly she did. Climbing to their feet, Sasuke automatically began searching for the masked kid in case he suddenly appeared again. Sakura seemed to believe that all the danger had passed as she joyfully yelled down the bridge to their teammates.

"Naruto!" she yelled.

_Sakura-chan?_ It couldn't be her! She was dead!

"When did you get here?" she called out as the blonde slowly glanced back at her. "Where's that masked gaki?"

Upon seeing her and Sasuke both standing and seemingly in good condition, tears began to form in his eyes. Tears of happiness. Then the guilty look in his eye brightened at the sight, his teammates were still alive! They could still hang out together. He could mock Sasuke everyday, bug Sakura to his heart's content, and they in return would beat him down again. Paradise!

Glancing back towards the body of Haku, he felt a deep sense of gratitude for the boy. He hadn't killed his friends after all. Yet that would mean…Naruto had killed him for no reason! This realization brought a tsunami of regret and self-loathing over him.

How could he have killed Haku if the boy had been willing to spare his friends? Naruto didn't know if he could live with himself for knowing that he'd caused that boy's death because of appearances. Then, as if to add salt to the wound, a memory fragment drifted through his cranium: a shinobi must always see underneath the underneath.

The fact that he'd not even bothered to examine the puncture wounds the senbon had caused only increased his guilt. If he'd taken the time to examine Sakura rather than jumping to conclusions, Haku might still be alive!

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said quietly yet he still drew his teacher's attention. "Please don't tell them... I don't want them to know."

Kakashi saw the look in his eyes as he stared at Haku. He was killing himself over killing the boy he realized. Sighing, the silver haired Jounin nodded silently.

Naruto was momentarily spared of his pain when the samurai let out cries of fury at having their boss killed. But thanks to the timely arrival of Inari and the village folk, as well as a clever use of simple bunshins, all-out war on the bridge had been diverted.

Naruto watched solemnly as Kakashi carried the dying Zabuza over to Haku. He felt a chill go down his back and thought it was just his nerves. But when a very light flurry of snow started to descend from the cloudy skies, he couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder.

Glancing at the prone body of Haku, a simple thought drifted through his pain. _Are you crying, Haku?_ It seemed…elegant in a way. A boy with the bloodline capabilities to control water and ice would have a snow fall as he died.

But snow wasn't the only thing falling. There were also tears.

* * *

It was a long two weeks for Team Seven. After burying the Mist shinobi side by side, they spent the remainder of the time simply healing. Kakashi had a stab wound in his right hand, a long gash across his chest, and various cuts over his body. Sasuke and Sakura were suffering from the puncture wounds and, in Sasuke's case, chakra depletion. 

Only Naruto was in good condition, at least physically. During those two weeks, Team Seven had seen a side of Naruto that they never imagined existed. He was depressed and brooding over Haku's death, like Sasuke over his clan and family's deaths. It was rare for him to even crack a smile.

Sasuke and Sakura thought it had something to do with their 'deaths' that was affecting the blonde so badly. Indirectly, they were right. That much they could get from him when they questioned Naruto those first few days. Yet when they tried to push for more, he snapped back with a viciousness that had even Sasuke reeling back in shock.

Because it was so hard to keep his mask up, Naruto distanced himself from them for hours at a time. His time away was spent in the woods, training or brooding or anything that would keep his mind occupied. From one point-of-view, it wasn't wasted time either. He was able to hone his newer jutsus and was already inspired to create another Fuuton jutsu.

He called this new wind technique Kaze Wana. It was a trap in all senses of the word for it was meant to _pull_ objects to him rather than repel. But the way he went about creating it was much different and harder than any other jutsu he'd made so far. Thus progress with it was extremely slow.

He was trying to use one-handed seals.

The only thing that he allowed himself to remember of that fight was the fact that Haku could use one-handed seals. That was something that excited him to no end. If he was able to perfect these one-handed seals, then he'd be able to summon jutsus no matter what condition he was in.

First he practiced simple jutsus that he'd known for years, like Henge and Kawarimi. It was very hard at first because of the absence of his second focusing point. He had to yield his chakra with more than twice the amount of control or it would fail. Due partially to this fact, he found himself draining his chakra reserves unnaturally quickly.

Once he'd exhaust his supply, he'd begin to practice his handseals speed again. In the past week he'd been unable to, so Naruto knew he was out of practice. It was during these practice sessions that his temper would really flare up. This was due to fact that as his mind and body grew accustomed to the quicker seals, his mind would wander inevitably back towards the battle. Then, as he'd unwilling recall the events that transpired, his fingers would tangle and snap him back to reality.

But his main focus was on a new exercise he'd found for himself, water-walking while trying to use the first stage of his primary jutsu. It was much harder than he'd originally thought it would be. He not only had to concentrate on a constant flow of chakra into the water, but he had to remember the specific spinning motions his chakra was meant to do with the jutsu.

The fact that both jutsu were fairly draining on him, meant that he was having a tough time. But he'd set his mind to it so he was going to keep doing it. Sometimes, he'd get so absorbed that he'd lose track of time. In fact, he was finding that that was becoming a habit of his unfortunately.

* * *

He hated to do it. But he had to know. So he decided to try Naruto first. But that hadn't ended too well. So he finally approached Kakashi with the question that had been on his mind for days. 

"What happened on the bridge?" he had asked during one of the times that Naruto was outside spending his time training.

Kakashi, who had his masked nose buried in his Icha Icha Paradise, merely glanced at him before returning to reading. After a moment, he answered before Sasuke's temper spiked.

"He was killed when he lost his reason to live," he said softly.

"You didn't answer my question," Sasuke pointed out, not trying to disguise his impatience.

"No I haven't," Kakashi said easily. "because it isn't important. But I believe you know of something that happened during the fighting that you're not telling me."

"What?" Sasuke said, unable to hide his confusion.

Once again glancing in his pupil's direction, Kakashi studied him briefly. Then he returned to his reading while mumbling in a voice he knew Sasuke could hear. "Well, I guess since it was a fight…too busy dodging, you wouldn't have noticed it."

"Noticed what!" the young Uchiha demanded hotly. He tried to remember his battle with the hunter-nin. There was nothing worth noticing about it…until shortly after he'd gotten trapped in those cursed mirrors. He'd been able to react faster!

A sudden excitement began to grow in his stomach. Could it be…?

In response to the Uchiha heir's demand, Kakashi merely brought his hand up and lightly tapped the part of his headband that covered his Sharingan eye.

Sasuke just stared at Kakashi for a moment. Then, in a rare display of emotion, a rapidly growing smile broke across his face. He'd finally awakened his Sharingan! Now he was one step closer to fulfilling his ambition and bringing that murderer to justice.

* * *

The only positive thing that really occurred during that time was the bridge. With nearly the entire village helping now, the progress had leapt from staggeringly slow to amazingly fast. With nothing to fear of Gatou's crumbling company, the villagers returned to work in earnest. 

Now they stood before the graves of the Mist duo, paying last respects. For one of the few times that they'd known him, Naruto didn't try to make a scene. He just stood back with Sasuke and Kakashi, waiting for Sakura to finish.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said softly. "Were these two correct about shinobi?"

Though she hadn't heard the speech of how a shinobi was a tool, it was one of the few details that she obtained from Naruto. It hurt her to realize that despite what her heart was telling her, it seemed very plausible.

"A shinobi isn't supposed to pursue his own goals," the jounin said. "Becoming his country's tool is the most important... That's the same for Konoha as well."

"Is that what it really means to become a true shinobi?" Naruto asked quietly. Receiving no answer, which he didn't expect to, he continued, "You know what? I don't like it! I'm going to make my own shinobi way!"

He said with such determination that it brought a surprised glance from Kakashi. What he saw was a shadow of the old Naruto finally starting to come back into the light. It seemed to be beginning with that infamous foxy grin of his, however small it was. It was still a start.

Kakashi couldn't help but shoot him a relieved smile.

* * *

Apparently it was indeed Naruto's first step to recovering. They marched proudly across the now completed bridge. And with each step, it was like cheerfulness was rushing back into him. Hence, he couldn't help but to go into a narrative of what he was going to do once they got back to Konoha. 

"Let's get home fast so I can have Iruka-sensei buy me some ramen!" he cheered out, suddenly starting to bounce on his feet in excitement. "Oh yeah! And I have to tell Konohamaru about my legendary feats!"

Somehow feeling recharged now that Naruto was returning to normal, Sakura shyly glanced over at Sasuke. She'd barely spoken three words to him since she'd woken on the bridge. This was merely out of pure embarrassment that she'd kissed him like that and under those circumstances.

"Sasuke-kun?" she said timidly. "How about a date when we get back?"

"No thanks," was his simple answer.

"B-but—"

"Hey! Hey!" Naruto interrupted with a hurt grimace on his face. "How about me!"

"NO!" Sakura yelled, losing her shyness instantaneously. "Shut up, Naruto!"

Kakashi could only give a happy sigh. Yes, things were certainly heading back to normal. With Naruto practically on his hands and knees while Sakura was waving a threatening fist in his face as Sasuke tried to ignore them both, there was definitely a new leaf rising out of the ashes.

The team was the first group to cross over the newly named bridge. The Great Naruto Bridge was born.

* * *

**(Author's Note)** This is my longest chapter to date. I hope you all like it. I'm kind of irritated with myself that I couldn't get the fight scene to be any more different than that. But Emiyo seemed to like it, so I assume you all will. 

Just for the record, this chapter would've come out yesterday but I was running into some problems uploading. Those problems still haven't been resolved but at least I found a way around them, heh. I hope to hear what you all have got to say about this. So please don't keep me waiting. I don't care if they're flames or flowers you throw at me. PLEASE REVIEW!


	13. The Next Level

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 13—The Next Level_

He had never been so happy to see his rundown apartment in his entire life. Everything was as he left it from what he could see in the gathering darkness of the room. Except, of course, for a few bits of trash that some villagers had thrown in from his broken window.

Letting the backpack fall limply to the ground from his shoulders, he took a long and deep breath. Smelling the familiar air of his home and finding a peace of mind that had eluded him for weeks. It was nice to be back where he belonged.

After stowing away his traveling equipment, Naruto began digging under his bed. Pulling out a tin box, he sat down on the bed. Popping the lid carefully, he examined the contents. All the scrolls inside were still there with no apparent tampering done to any. Now he really let out a sigh of relief.

Taking out the last one he'd been working on, he unrolled it. The title of the scroll was enough of a name that anyone interested would've immediately tried to grab a hold it. It was simple and to the point: _Uzumaki Family Jutsus—Scroll 2_.

On this scroll was the beginning of the explanation he'd hastily written down for Kaze Tate no Jutsu. Now that he had the rest of the evening, he decided to put a more thorough description of the jutsu onto it as well as little notes that he'd found while practicing it. Next on the scroll came Kaze Kiwa no Jutsu. This description was a bit less precise due to the fact that he still wasn't entirely sure of its true capabilities. Yet he did write down what he had done with it.

After scribbling down the basic concept of the Kaze Wana no Jutsu, he closed the scroll and took out the special one. Where as the other two scrolls were left somewhat unprotected, this scroll held a very special seal that, at this point, only he could utilize. Due to the seal, anything that was written on it while it was in his possession would turn invisible. The only way he or anyone else could see the writing was if he channeled chakra through the scroll. But should anyone else try to, the scroll would burst into flames.

On this scroll was the notes and experiences he'd had with his primary jutsu as he was creating it. Naruto took extra care with the descriptions of what happened to the tree he'd experimented on, as well as the backlash of chakra that hurt him. Then he wrote down his goals for what he considered to be the beginning of the next stage of this jutsu: adding power.

In the beginning, Naruto had found that he sometimes forgot the little details about chakra manipulation. So to compensate for this problem, he started taking notes which eventually led to him writing down all the problems and experiments he went through to create his own jutsus. He started creating the jutsus to compensate for the fact that he had no family to teach him any.

Since he considered this secret jutsu his most prized one, he had gone first to Iruka-sensei and then Sandaime Hokage for a way to prevent anyone other than himself from opening and reading his scrolls. At the time, the blood seal had been very confusing to him and so was difficult to perform. Ojisan readily agreed with giving him this special seal when he saw that Naruto could use high-level jutsu like Kage Bunshin.

Team Seven had nearly set a record for the fastest travel time a genin team could go while on the way back to Konoha. Not one of them wanted to remain away from home any longer than they needed to. So Naruto didn't realize how exhausted he was until woke the next morning on top of the secret scroll.

* * *

Things almost returned to normal for them now that they were back home. Except for the fact that neither boy could seem to stand to be in the other's presense anymore. Sasuke, despite being on cloudnine about getting his Sharingan, suspected that Naruto had something to do with the hunter-nin's death. The belief was only reinforced when he began to notice Naruto's sudden rapid growth in power. This, of course, was a hard hit to his pride and ego which made him just unbearable to be around when the blonde was near. 

Naruto seemed to have guessed what the Uchiha's sudden coldness towards him was about, and promptly began to mimic the gesture. Since he couldn't blame anyone but himself that Sasuke had figured it out, he put his energy towards insulting the boy and keeping his well-toned but badly weakened mask in place.

This left Sakura in the middle, trying to pacify Sasuke while demanding Naruto to stop upsetting him. What was somewhat surprising was that Sasuke seemed to be listening to her a bit more now since their time spent together training.

But this didn't stop the boy's from trying to outdo the other on their missions and training. It seemed that now that Sasuke had discovered how powerful the dobe could be, he was taking the boy's rivalry a bit more to heart. That was a change compared to Naruto's one-sided rivalry throughout their time in the academy.

Today they were given the mission of cleaning and reorganizing a toy store in lower Konoha. This was a long, tedious task that kept them busy throughout the morning and early afternoon. Charged with stacking several boxes filled of rubber balls and various other trinkets, Naruto's foul mouth was running at double-time. Shortly after they completed their section of the store, Sasuke and Sakura were dismissed by Kakashi. Naruto, having a slightly large area to clean due to his desire to outdo Sasuke, was left alone to finish.

Hefting the last three boxes onto of one another, Naruto tried to hurry over to pile as fast as he could. He wanted to go to Ichiraku's and eat, he was starving from missing lunch. Because of his impatience and hunger, Naruto failed to notice that he was a little too close to the stack. He crashed into it and over-balanced, trying to catch himself seemed to only aid in the inevitable.

The three boxes he'd been carrying toppled over to the ground and their contents scattered. Heaving himself up, Naruto glared daggers at the mess. He was almost done! It was a conspiracy set up by Sasuke, he just knew it was. That teme was going to pay when he sees him again.

Snatching the closest rubber ball, he wasshouldn't do it but he knew that he needed a vent for his frustration. The focusing of his primary jutsu came a bit more naturally to him so he was able to watch the ball expectantly as he was doing it. Not until he felt only a trickle of warmth seeping out of the ball and a lot of straining did he realize that something was wrong. The chakra was spinning, but the ball wasn't breaking.

Then it hit him.

The ball wasn't breaking! Why was that? Looking closely at the ball in his hand, he let the chakra seep away. Once it had, he felt the tiny amount of warmth disappear. Then bringing it up again, he sent the chakra spinning as fast as he knew it would take to burst a water balloon. But nothing happened, save for a slight warmth from the friction of the chakra inside it.

This would need much more careful examination he realized, suddenly forgetting his frustration. Thanks to this discovery, his mind was now occupied with the mystery and his body went on autopilot as he cleaned up the mess, stacked the boxes, and left. He didn't even realize that he'd taken the ball with him.

* * *

The journey was long, even she'd admit that. With hardly any time to herself and the constant presence of her brother, she was on edge worse than usual. It had been almost a week since they left their home and she was most definitely looking forward to arriving. 

What she really needed was a bath and a nice bed. It was not a pleasant experience to her, traveling so far with no time to scrub herself clean. Sure she was kunoichi at heart, but she was still a teenaged girl. She wanted a bath.

The terrain gradually changed from formless and familiar to forested and threatening. But she wasn't concerned. As long as her brother was there, moderately in control, she was safe from harm. It was not that she couldn't fight for herself, but still.

The gates of Konoha were a welcome sight. Finally, a week of travel could soon be scraped from her body. With this thought in mind, her patience was severely tested by the standard gate guards.

Now, as she was walking back towards the motel they'd rented, she passed by a grocery store. The smells of various foods, both familiar and foreign, wafted up into her nose and caused her mouth to water. Alright, maybe a little snack before returning wouldn't hurt.

The store was graciously stacked with almost more food than she'd ever seen in one place. In her home, they conserved food almost as much as they did water. Food exposed to the air would corrupt in a matter time. So it was vital that they kept as much wrapped up and stored away as possible. The fact that these villagersdidn't feel the same about their food supply just baffled her. Shrugging it off, she walked off down one of the aisles.

It was as she was looking for some fruit that she met a very weird person. She was minding her own business when she was suddenly bumped into roughly. The bump turned into an unconventional tackle as she turned and tried to evade the person. She landed roughly on her backside with the person flopped lopsidedly over her; she felt her temper flaring again. This was a very bad time of the month for her, so getting tackled wasmore thanenough to set her off.

_How rude!_

As the person, a young boy she was able to determine, was pulling himself quickly off of her, she took a swing at him. The boy was knocked back with a bleeding nose as he was trying to reach for his purchases.

Standing up and snatching her fan, she glared down at the boy as he sat up again. It was a genin, based on his age and the headband. But he was dressed an orange jumpsuit and had strange whisker marks on his cheeks. His bright blonde hair put her own to shame. He looked up as he noticed her standing imperiously over him.

Chuckling light-heartedly, he said, "Gomen, I guess I should pay more attention to where I'm going."

Temari didn't answer, just continued to glare down at him. He sent her a curious gaze as he spotted her headband strapped loosely around her neck. But her gaze was slightly unnerving to him so he just chuckled again. Then as if forgetting about her, he dashed about and gathered his spilled bags of what appeared to be mostly ramen, milk, and a few vegetables. The boy stood up and quickly disappeared down the aisle.

She continued to glare at his retreating back, which almost seemed to speed up his progress, until he was gone.

* * *

It had been too long since he'd faced his rival in combat. Now that he had his own team, he knew that he'd be able to beat him. Udon was the smartest kid in their class; he'd be able to think up unbeatable attack strategies when the time came. Moegi was, as she put it, the prettiest girl in their class. Thus, with her cute looks, she'd be able to make their opponents underestimate their strength. And, of course, Konohamaru was the one who would be doing the bulk of the fighting. 

Crouched under their 'perfect' disguise, they shadowed Konohamaru's rival. The boy was too wrapped up in his own world to notice them, at least that's what Moegi said. But they were too close to him, Udon pointed out. But that made ambushing him much easier, he told them.

Their prey stopped outside a grocery store and seemed to be waiting for someone. But that didn't matter to him; it was time to show his rival that it was _he_ who was going to become Hokage.

Bursting from their 'clever disguise,' Konohamaru leapt for the boy. He had a kunai in hand and deadly battle cry from his mouth. His rival didn't even seem to react at all. Maybe he truly had finally caught him by surprise. This was even better!

But just as he was nearly on top of him, his rival turned and caught Konohamaru around the neck with an iron grip. Gasping in surprise, Konohamaru reflexively dropped his kunai as he tried futilely to pry the boy's hands from him. As the boy faced him, Konohamaru felt an embarrassment unlike anything he'd ever felt before descend upon him.

This wasn't Naruto-niisan.

It was a large boy dressed in an almost totally black outfit with a wrapped package hanging on his back. He wore a strange cap that made it seem as though he had pointed ears and had red face-paint. But what really terrified Konohamaru was the fact that his headband didn't carry the Konoha insignia on it but rather an hourglass.

That meant that he couldn't use his grandfather's name to make him let him go. Not without broadcasting his identity to the rest of the shinobi community.

"What do we have here?" the boy asked himself in a conceited tone.

"Let…go!" Konohamaru demanded, still trying to escape. He glanced pleadingly at Moegi and Udon, but they seemed petrified in fear of this strange boy.

"Why?" the boy asked. "So you can attack me again…? I don't like brats who attack from behind like cowards."

"Not…brat!" he gasped. Why was his vision beginning to spin and darken?

"You know," the boy said, with a wicked sneer. "You're right…you're a brat who's dead meat."

As the strange shinobi was reaching for something, a familiar voice yelled out, "Put him down!"

The boy's grip on Konohamaru's throat lessened slightly as he turned to face the person. With the sudden rush of air and blood back into and through his system, Konohamaru was able to look in the direction of the yell.

"Naruto-niisan!" he cried out, trying not to show his fear in his voice.

"Who are you?" the black-dressed boy demanded. "And why should I care?"

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Konohagakure," Naruto said simply, pointing at the boy with a determined gleam in his eyes he continued. "And you had better put him down if you know what's good for you."

"Heh, you're funny," Kankuro said with a peculiar grin on his face.

Seeing that he wasn't going to relinquish his hold, Naruto dashed forward. Kankuro's gaze changed from light and carefree to sharp and dangerous instantaneously. Using his free hand, he sent a series of chakra strings over to and tripped the blonde genin.

"What the?" was Naruto's ever so intelligent remark as he sat up. Then he quickly put things into perspective and realized what the Suna genin had done.

"How can a weakling like you hope to become Hokage?" Kankuro asked as his face returned to his previous carefree expression.

"Who are you calling weak?" the blonde demanded as he stood up. Not waiting for an answer, he pointed at him again, "I only charged you to see what you would do. Now I know you use chakra strings, I won't fall for that again."

"Really?" Kankuro asked, almost ignoring the brat he still held.

"Let him go!" Naruto demanded. "This is your last warning."

"Ha!" Kankuro couldn't help but smirk at the blonde's blind faith in his own abilities. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"Me? Nothing," the blonde said easily, a foxy grin breaking out across his face. Instantly suspicious as to what the boy was up to, Kankuro gave him his full attention.

"Me? Everything!" the blonde's voice said behind him.

Kankuro had enough time to glance backwards to see a second blonde before a foot smashed into his face. The kick sent him flying a short ways down the street. In his surprise and pain, he'd dropped Konohamaru who instantly ran behind his oniisan.

Quickly climbing to his feet, Kankuro stared at the second blonde for a moment. Then, realizing the obvious, he growled as he hefted the package off his back. He set it down with a heavy thump all the while glaring at the blonde as he released his clone.

"That was a lucky shot," he said angrily. "It won't happen again."

"Bring it on, sabaku-teme," Naruto said, walking forward slightly to put something of a buffer zone between himself and Konohamaru and the other two children.

"Kankuro, back off," a voice called out.

The Suna-nin's reaction was as though someone had doused him in freezing cold water. Shivers of fear ran down his body as beads of sweat grew thick on him. Naruto, meantime, was glancing up at the red-haired boy standing on top of a nearby building. The fact that he'd been unable to sense his arrival greatly spooked him. The only person that that had ever happened with to him nowadays was Sandaime Hokage.

_This guy must be good_, he realized. It was this thought that a brought a hesitant smile onto his face as he stared at the boy's heavily sleep-deprived eyes. There was no emotion those cold eyes. It was like he was staring at a chunk of ice; hell, even Sasuke was a warm, lovable puppy compared to this kid.

"Losing yourself in a fight, how pathetic…" the kid said, glaring at the slightly older Suna-genin. "Why do you think we came to Konohagakure?"

"Listen, Gaara," Kankuro said, almost whimpering. "They started it and…"

"Shut up," Gaara growled. "Or I'll kill you."

Kankuro made no immediate reply to that, just a severely trembling body. Then practically begging for his life, he said, "Okay, I'm sorry…"

"Sorry to you, guys," Gaara said as he glanced at Naruto and the terrible trio.

In a whirl of sand, the boy appeared in front of Kankuro and stared at Naruto with a calculative gaze. _To be able to fool Kankuro like that_, Gaara silently assessed. _He must be good_.

Glancing back towards his brother, Gaara said, "Where's Temari?"

"I think she went to the hot springs," was his quick answer.

"Let's go," Gaara said as he turned to leave.

"Wait," Naruto called as he stepped forward slightly. Bringing his hands up behind his head with a foxy grin on his face, he asked, "What are you guys doing here in Konoha?"

"Don't you know, baka?" Kankuro demanded, giving Naruto an arrogant sneer. "The Chuunin Selection Exams."

"We're having it?" he asked no one in particular as he cocked his head to the side and seemed to think about it. "That's cool! I'll be sure to be there! By the way, what's your name?"

Gaara's gaze didn't change as he looked at him. "Sabaku no Gaara."

He was met with a large foxy grin. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet ya."

Gaara and Kankuro vanished in a blur of speed. Naruto shooed the still-trembling academy students away very quickly and they listened without complaint. Once they were safely away, Naruto turned and looked pointedly up at another building

"I hope I put on a good show for you, temes!" he called out before walking away with a satisfied smirk. What he left behind were three badly startled Oto-nin.

* * *

There was a straw figure that looked vaguely like a human being. It was strapped tightly to a tree and had several targets attached to the approximate locations of a person's vitals. Those vitals, had they been real, were now so filled with kunai and shuriken than no normal person would've had a chance at survival. 

Sitting unflinching and unconcerned directly under the target was Hyuuga Neji, the greatest genius of the Hyuuga clan in a hundred years. He watched impassively as the pretty dark-haired girl cast her weapons towards him, with an almost careless gesture. Yet he held no fear of being hit, she was far too skilled to allow that to happen.

Leaning casually against the same tree, Rock Lee too watched her practice. It was one of the few times that he wasn't pushing himself to extreme levels of training to beat his 'eternal rival Neji.'

It was during this silence that the bowl-cut kid remembered something that he knew would interest his teammates.

"Hey!" he said, breaking their silence. "Hey, did you hear? For the first time in five years, there are going to be rookies in this Chuunin Exam."

"No way!" Tenten said with a small smile. "It's probably some stubborn Jounin's competition or something." Which it could easily be. It has been known to occur a multitude of times in the past from overconfident genins and their instructors.

"No, the story is that three of them are students of that Kakashi," Lee said. He knew about this particular detail due to his brother/father/mentor figure considered the masked man his own eternal rival.

"That sounds interesting," Neji said with a large, confident smirk. He was quite looking forward to fighting them. Given the way that Maito Gai-sensei always went on about how Kakashi is so overconfident about his own abilities, which would only mean that his students could be worthy challenges.

"But in the end," Tenten said as she sent another kunai flying. It struck the center dead on.

"We have to feel sorry for them," Neji finished for her. It was true. They knew too well what the pervert's abilities, hobbies, and faults were; all thanks to Gai-sensei's rambling. Those poor genin were probably too busy beating up Kakashi for his tardiness to really learn anything from him.

* * *

They arrived on time like they were supposed to. Only to wait…and wait…and wait some more. Sakura's foul temper was being sorely tested these days and a chronically late sensei wasn't helping. 

Last night, for some reason, she just couldn't fall asleep until it was nearly one in the morning. That left her with fours of sleep and only an hour to clean and make her presentable. An hour for her obviously wasn't enough as some of her hair was sticking out at odd angles and her eyelids were constantly threatening to fall.

As the third hour rolled past, she finally snapped, "How can this be allowed? Why does that _person_ ask us to meet and then make us wait!"

Naruto was off in his own little world. Sasuke was brooding again. No answer was forthcoming but that didn't stop her. She needed to get this out of her system or she'd go crazy!

"What about the feelings of a young girl who didn't get enough sleep or time to blow-dry her hair!"

_Why does everything have to be so high tension with her?_ Sasuke wondered, his own temper flaring as Sakura voiced his complaints for him, if in a slightly more feminine way. Why he was assigned to such an unreliable Jounin was beyond Sasuke's comprehension.

"Morning!" Kakashi called from his perch up on bridge's support beam. "Today I got lost on the road of life."

"LIAR!" Naruto and Sakura yelled simultaneously. "Apologize!"

Kakashi only chuckled at that as he dropped down in front of them. Quickly growing serious, he said, "This is sudden but…I've nominated you guys for the Chuunin Selection Exam."

"Huh?" was Sakura's answer. Sasuke watched Kakashi's limited face for any sign of deception while Naruto instantly broke into a large grin.

"What did you say!" Sakura demanded, not really caring what he had just said. She was just in too bad of a mood to care. "You think that makes up for—!"

"Here are your applications," Kakashi interrupted, hold three pamphlets forward.

This was better than if Naruto had begged Kakashi-sensei himself. The man just instantly decides that they were ready for the next level! It was this line-of-thought that drove him to jump onto the man while shouting, "KAKASHI-SENSEI! I LOVE YOU!"

This would be great! Maybe he could meet up with and possibly fight Gaara later on. He was sure that would be an awesome battle. Daydreams of such were racing through his mind as he quickly snatched his pamphletand scanned the questions listed on it.

He didn't even notice Kakashi telling them that they didn't have to accept the nomination if they didn't want to. He was going even if he had to leech onto another team! But he did catch the vital information: _Academy—Room 301—Four o'clock—Tomorrow_.

The three of them were walking back towards Konoha together after Kakashi dismissed them. Naruto was holding his application form like it was a lost page of a holy text. He was literally walking on air and speaking his mind, totally oblivious to Sakura's growing depression.

"There's going to be a lot of strong guys in this thing," he mumbled to himself. "Like him! …Oh, I can't wait to fight him! I wonder how good he is! Heh, when I win this, I'll get to be Hokage even sooner!"

Sasuke and Naruto were so caught up in imagining what kinds of fights and fighters that they'd run into that they didn't notice Sakura stopping and just staring at them as they continued walking away. One thought prevailed on her mind.

_I…don't want to…_ She knew that she wasn't ready for this. She knew that she was weak, as that hunter-nin had so graciously proved. _I can't even keep up with Sasuke-kun and Naruto…and now the Chuunin Exam…_

One thing she did know for sure, she was probably not going to be getting much sleep in the next few days.

* * *

When Naruto came sprinting for them, shouting out his customary greeting to Sakura, she actually greeted him back. This drew Sasuke's and Naruto's attentions quickly, though neither said anything. Something was wrong with her today, but what? 

As they marched through the academy they found themselves shoulder to shoulder in a very large and dense group of genin from all over the continent. It was actually a little intimidating on them from all the ugly and downright vicious glares that were being shot in their direction from so many foreign and dangerous people.

Then the cause of such a large crowd quickly came into view. Two rugged looking Konoha genin seemed to be guarding the doorway to the desired room. But there was something wrong with it, all of them realized quickly and each in their own way.

It took only a small suspicion, confirmed by a brief flash of his Sharingan, for him to see that this wasn't the room they wanted. Sakura, having had some experience with genjutsu, easily recognized the tiny manipulations that were at work inside her brain, trying to make her see what they wanted her to see. Naruto knew that they weren't on the third floor because of the smell alone, it stunk of cleaning supplies that were only stored on the second floor, and there were various floorboards that were loose that made loud complaints when stepped on.

They weaved their way to the front in time to see a pretty girl get roughly smacked aside. After listening to the pair of genin's speech of what a Chuunin's responsibilities were and how they were doing them a service by not letting them pass, Sasuke grew bored.

"I agree, but…" he said as he stepped boldly forward. "You will let me pass through…and also remove the genjutsu."

Muttering broke out around the crowd as they tried to understand what this kid was saying. What genjutsu? But, like the Uchiha he was, Sasuke completely ignored them in favor of finishing his speech.

"I'm going to the third floor," he said.

"Ah…" the spiky haired guy moaned, trying not to show his disappointment. There goes their fun.

"So you noticed…" his partner said.

Sasuke merely smirked in reply. This was perfect. He could use this. He knew what Sakura's problem was, but he also knew two things. She underestimated herself, and she'd known what was happening all along.

"Sakura," he said, gaining her attention. "You must have noticed first, right?"

What was he talking about? Was it the genjutsu? And why would he even care if she saw it or not?

"Your analytical ability and genjutsu know-how…" he said, glancing at her with an almost warm expression. Well, it would've been warm if it was anyone other than Sasuke that was doing it. "is the best on our team."

It was in that moment she understood. He actually knew what she could do. If he was trying to get her to come along because he was confident in her, then that must mean…

A small chuckle escaped her lips as her confidence was given an enormous boost. This chuckle drew a small smile from Sasuke that went unnoticed by everyone. He had been right after all. She was scared because of a lack of confidence. A little word of encouragement on what she knew she could do well, and look at that!

She was definitely getting better as a kunoichi.

* * *

In one encounter, he'd gained an interest in two new genin he'd not met before. The first was a scandalously dressed bowl-cut kid in green spandex and enormous eyebrows with an incredible speed. The second was quite obviously a Hyuuga, based off the signature dark hair and pale eyes. 

Now he watched as the first of two dropped down from a balcony after proclaiming a desire to fight with him. There was a determined glare in the boy's eyes as he stared impassively at the Uchiha. If he'd been dressed in anything other than such a hideous outfit, the glare might have had a stronger effect on Sasuke.

"My name is Rock Lee," he said pointing at Sasuke. "'When you want to learn a person's name you introduce yourself first.' Right, Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Heh, so you know?" Sasuke said, a little irritated by the boy's attitude.

Crouching into a peculiar stance, Lee continued, "I want to fight you. I want to test my techniques against the offspring of a 'genius' shinobi clan. Plus…"

The boy's cheeks began to brighten as he shifted his gaze towards Sakura. Warning bells of a kind that she'd never experienced before began ringing loudly in her mind. The only time anyone had ever blushed at her was Naruto when he was trying to ask her out on a date…This kid, Lee, wasn't planning on it too. Was he? The mere thought sent shivers of disgust down her spine.

But when the boy winked at her, her worst fears were realized. And she reacted accordingly. "EWW!" she shrieked. "Those eyebrows are gross!"

Both her teammates watched her in silent amusement as she continued to voice their own thoughts and pick at the boy's serious lack of a wardrobe.

Lee evidentially took it all as a compliment from her, based on his continued blush and following reaction. "You are an angel!" he said as he blew a strange heart shape towards her.

Sakura reacted on instinct. Snapping back and down so low that she smashed her head on the floor in an effort to avoid the strange projectile. Apparently it wasn't a wasted effort as it sailed over her and impacted safely with a support beam. Sitting while rubbing her tender head as goosebumps snaked over her drew barely restrained snickers from Naruto.

After she was done reprimanding Lee, Sasuke spoke up. Despite what he was saying, he felt a growing excitement in himself. This boy seemed to possess extraordinary skills and abilities, if he went off of the speed that he'd seen him use. If he could learn some of his jutsus, then he'd most definitely have a better chance against Itachi.

Naruto's face was that of annoyance. He wanted a warm up against someone before actually starting, just to see where he stood in comparison against an unknown rival. While at the same time, he was getting especially annoyed at everyone forautomatically wanting to fight Sasuke because of his reputation as being the 'Number 1 Rookie' and the Uchiha heir.

Then again, if his instincts were right, this kid might be too much for even him. So why not have Sasuke be the guinea pig? Besides, the Uchiha seemed to not only need to be taken down a few notches, but he was clearly overconfident. Why should Naruto make a fool of himself against a genin he didn't even know anything about?

Even as Lee made his bold announcement, Sasuke could feel his excitement growing even more. This kid would most definitely be worth the time to fight.

"Sounds fun," he finally said. "I'll do it."

He ignored Sakura about the time remaining as he dashed for the boy. The ensuing 'fight' was one of the fastest he'd ever had. He sent Lee a series of kicks and punches but the kid dodged or blocked with extreme ease. Then he sent in his own kick at Sasuke that he couldn't dodge; only block…or thought he did.

The kick sent Sasuke flying. He couldn't understand how this kid could do that. Was it some kind of ninjutsu or genjutsu? There wasonly one way to find out. And he'd wanted to test it on someone he deemed as worthy since he'd learned to summon it at will.

When he stood up, the redness of his eyes didn't go unnoticed by anyone. Lee was excited at first before growing serious. He'd heard all about the abilities of the Sharingan from Gai-sensei. But even with this knowledge, was he really prepared for it?

Sakura was only filled with admiration. She didn't know he had the Sharingan eyes. But if he did, he would be able to read Lee's moves and be able to counter them, all the while copying them. Her confidence in his abilities grew as she watched him dash for Lee again.

Thus it came as an extreme surprise when Thickbrows ducked down and sent a kick up into Sasuke's chin. The force of the kick sent him flying fairly high into the air.

"Yes…" Lee said, speaking into Sasuke's ear. "My jutsus are simple taijutsu, Sasuke-kun. You may not believe it because it is so basic but…"

It was then that Sasuke was introduced to a weakness in the Sharingan he never even considered existed. Even if he could see what was coming next, that didn't necessarily mean that he could dodge or block it. Speed was the Sharingan's natural enemy.

Lee had every intention of introducing Sasuke to one of his best jutsus: the Omote Renge. But when a pinwheel caught the loose piece of Lee's bandages and a giant turtle appeared, things took a strange turn for the young genins. The sudden appearance of the horrifying figure of Maito Gai forced Naruto to voice a comment he'd been dying to say to Lee but was trying to respectfully restrain.

"Those eyebrows are so huge—they're almost alive!" he shouted in honest disbelief.

The following yelling match between the two 'dead-lasts' also brought out some unwanted information of how Gai-sensei considered Kakashi his 'eternal rival.' Team Seven was left to nurse their injured minds and egos.

"The Uchiha clan sure isn't worth much these days," Naruto said finally.

He brought both hands behind his head. He ignored Sakura's ranting and focused on Sasuke's suddenly humbled form. Maybe now he is more aware that he wasn't exactly all he thought he was, Naruto silently hoped.

"Next time I'll beat him…" Sasuke began, only to be cut off by Naruto again.

"Sure…" the blonde said with a small smirk. "Maybe you don't realize that you just got your ass kicked…"

At Sasuke's darkening expression, Naruto decided to state the obvious. "You saw his hand too…Thickbrows must've trained really hard everyday…More than you. That's all it is."

Sasuke's expression actually changed from a pained ego to slightly scared as he realized just what Naruto was saying. It was true that he didn't put as much effort into training as he knew he could've. Rather than focusing on honing his ability, he preferred to jump straight into the thick of it and improve in leaps and bounds, not at a steady pace.

Maybe he _wasn't_ ready for this.

Then his Uchiha pride kicked. If he wasn't ready, then he'd just have to swallow his fear and do it anyway. After all, if he was too scared or hesitant during his final encounter with that _man_ he was as good as dead.

Clenching his fist as he steeled his resolve, Sasuke snorted confidently. This drew Naruto's and Sakura's attentions. "This thing is getting fun, this Chuunin Exam…"

At hearing his words, Sakura and Naruto's expressions turned into relieved smiles. Their Sasuke was back.

"Ready to go?" he asked them as he started walking toward Room 301.

"HELL YEAH!"

They found Kakashi-sensei outside the desired the room. It seemed that what he'd told them wasn't true. They had to take it as a team and he seemed to have guessed Sakura's own hesitance as well. With Kakashi's heartfelt exclamation of how they made him proud, they approached the doors.

"Let's go!" Naruto said with an air of confidence that rivaled Sasuke's as his teammates opened the doors. As a team they started this exam and as a team they entered the first phrase of it.

* * *

**(Author's Note)** Well, that's Chapter 13. I hope you all like it. I'm irritated that I couldn't really think up more for this section of the story. But nothing can be done to help it, I guess. 

Next chapter, we'll see how the Rookie Nine associate with each other after near no communication since they formed teams. The First Exam commences and possibly (most likely) a fair portion of the Second Exam as well.

I've got some bad news. Because I finish my training this coming Thursday means that I'll have little time then and probably several days thereafter to work on this story. This means, unfortunately, that my updating will be severely cut down. But ever chance I get, I swear I'll use it to work on this story. I hate not being able to finish something I started.


	14. Swallowing Fears

**This dedication goes out to several people. **Réginald Bayle, David Ross, Ariel Ghanayem, Javier otero, Aznkendoboy124, dawnstar28, Chaos Ritual, and last but not least Moon-n-Universe-Goddess.** Thanks for helping me with that problem. **

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 14—Swallowing Fears_

The blond eye's widened in amazement at the sight before him. _So many…_

The number of shinobi inside the room was breathtaking. There must've been almost three hundred of them and every single one was staring right at the trio that stood there in the doorway. It was actually kind of humbling in a way with the all evil glares that were shot at them.

_This is could be fun!_ Naruto's excitement was slightly dampened by the fact that he may have to kill some of the many genin he was staring at. He could feel his body beginning to tremble at the thought. It wasn't something he really wanted to do again if he had his way.

"Sasuke-kun!" a familiar voice screeched as a blur of purple and long blonde hair latched onto the said boy. "You're late!"

"I haven't seen you for a while, so…" Ino practically purred into his ear. She either didn't notice his disgusted stare or she ignored it. Either way, Sasuke was reminded just why he preferred to _one_ kunoichi on his team than an entire classroom. "I've been waiting in _excitement_."

Of course, Sakura felt as if her personal space was being invaded and she instantly jumped in to protect her claim. Naruto turned and started to walk over toward where he spotted a few of his old classmates. Why should he waste his time with a pointless argument between the two rivals?

"Oh!" Naruto said with a foxy grin. "The Idiot Duo!"

"Don't call us that!" Shikamaru said with a deep frown. Choji ignored the comment in favor reaching deeper into his bag of chips.

Shikamaru stared hard at Naruto, trying to see if the boy was trying to deceive everyone as much as he had during their years in the academy. Based on the way the blonde seemed to be ignoring his 'Sakura-chan' and not poking fun at Sasuke's predicament, it would seem that he didn't feel as much of a need to. Maybe soon he may find out if the boy was really as good as Shikamaru always suspected him to be.

"Yahoo!" another familiar voice called out. Naruto's reflexive wrinkling of his nose didn't go unnoticed by the Nara boy. "Found you!"

Naruto watched as Team Eight approached. Shino was as silent as ever, surveying all around with a cool indifference. Kiba wore his usual arrogant smirk with Akamaru dozing on his head. Hinata had small blush on her face and her eyes quickly diverted away from his as he glanced her.

"H…hello…" she said quietly.

"Well, well," Kiba said as his smirk grew slightly. Everyone is assembled."

"Jeez…" Shikamaru groaned. This was going to be very troublesome very soon, he could tell already. "You guys too?"

"I see all nine of this year's Rookie Genins are taking the Exam," Kiba said, stating the obvious. "I wonder how far we will get, eh Sasuke-kun?"

Snorting at the Inuzuka's attitude, Sasuke said, "You seem confident, Kiba."

"We did a lot of training," Kiba replied, not trying to his pride. "We won't lose to you."

_Time to play along_. Naruto's lips twitched very slightly at the thought of once again fooling the Rookie Nine. It had been quite a while since he'd actively tried to. Perhaps now was as good a time to get back into the practice of as any other.

"Shut up!" he yelled, sliding right back into his well-known mask. "Sasuke-teme might, but I won't lose to the likes of you!"

"Sorry…Naruto-kun…" Hinata said very, very softly. "Kiba-kun didn't mean it in that way…"

Naruto looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She'd actually spoken to him without stuttering. That was the first time since he'd known her to actually do that. However nothing else about his first friend seemed to have changed, not even the cute way she was fidgeting with her index fingers. His gaze sent the girl fidgeting even more as her blush began to deepen.

"Hey you guys," a kind voice said from the side. "You should be a bit quieter."

As the Rookie Nine fixed their attentions on the teenager wearing glasses, the teenaged genin continued, "You guys are Rookies just out of the academy right? Screaming like school girls…jeez…This isn't a picnic."

He didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the teen's attitude that he displayed as he approached them. Maybe it was the look in his eyes, a look that he was hiding something big, a look that he knew very well himself. Or maybe it was the easy way he carried himself, like an experienced Jounin. Whatever it was, something about this teen just caused Naruto to have a severe case of dislike and distrust towards him, even though his confused and slightly curious expression didn't falter in the slightest.

"Who do you think you are?" Ino asked. She was a bit repulsed by the guy's attitude as well.

"I'm Kabuto," he said easily, a small smirk pulling at his lips. "But instead of that, look behind you."

Many of the nearby gathered shinobi, especially a few shinobi wearing Rain-nin headbands, were shooting particularly vicious glares at the gathered rookies. After giving some advice to keep quiet, since this was very nerve-wracking for the foreign shinobi, Kabuto shared some information about himself.

If it hadn't been for that feeling he was getting about the guy, Naruto would've fallen to the ground laughing. This was Kabuto's seventh time taking the Chuunin Exam? He was either very weak or he just didn't want to become a Chuunin to have to take it so many times! But he definitely wasn't weak.

"Wow," Sakura said. "So you know a lot about this exam."

"That's right," Kabuto said that irritatingly friendly smile. He seemed almost proud of that fact.

"Wow," Naruto said, not trying to hide his disrespectful tone. "_Impressive_…"

Chuckling at Naruto's attitude, Kabuto pulled out a series of cards. Holding them up, he said, "Then I'll share some information with you cute rookies. With these nin-info cards…"

As he went into a lecture of how his nin-info cards worked, Naruto couldn't help but become interested. Maybe this guy had information on some individuals here. Then he could see where he stood in ability compared to everyone else here. Then again, maybe he didn't want to know. That could make it even more exciting for him in the long run, not knowing if he was better than his opponent or not.

Sasuke beat him to the punch of voicing the question.

The question drew a chuckle from Kabuto who asked almost sneeringly, "There are some guys you're worried about? Of course…The info on all this exam's participants isn't perfect but I do have it."

"Rock Lee of Konoha," Sasuke said immediately.

"And the red head kid from Sand, Sabaku no Gaara!" Naruto said with a goofy grin on his face. It couldn't hurt to see what he could do, right? Besides if it had a list of his jutsus, maybe he could coax the kid into sparring with him or maybe teaching him some later on!

As the other rookies glanced questioningly at Naruto, Kabuto withdrew the desired cards. Holding up the first card, he said, "A year older than you guys. Mission history: D-rank, twenty completed; C-rank, eleven completed. Sensei is Maito Gai. His taijutsu has improved greatly in this year, the rest is nothing impressive. This is his first exam with his teammates; Hyuuga Neji and Tenten."

The next card especially interested Naruto who all but shoved Sasuke aside in an attempt to see it. He was very disappointed to see Gaara's ability stats covered in question-marks.

"Next is Sabaku no Gaara," Kabuto continued. "Mission history: C-rank, eight completed; B-rank, one completed. Wow, a B-rank mission as a genin… Since he's a newcomer from a foreign country I don't have much info but…it seems he returned from all his missions without even a scratch."

As Kabuto explained about how only the best of the various shinobi villages were allowed to enter, Naruto's attention was given towards Hinata as she began to mutter. Though he didn't face her, his sharp ears picked up what she was saying quite easily. It was actually pretty accurate for several of the rookies, even if they didn't voice it.

"M…makes you lose your confidence…"

"So basically…" Sakura was saying. "all the people here are…"

"Yup!" Kabuto said, almost smirking. "Like Lee and Gaara, they are the top elite genins from the various countries."**

* * *

**He wasn't sure what he was doing still there. Maybe to see if any of his team would sudden turn yellow and call it quits. Though they'd entered without hesitation, he didn't miss the serious amount of doubt they carried within themselves.

Sasuke had been fighting, based on his slightly scruffy appearance. It also seemed as though he'd lost, which would explain for the humbled version he'd met with outside this room. If he was feeling nervous, then it struck Kakashi as fairly likely that at least one of his team would decide to quit.

In his mind played the conversation he'd had within the short span of time it had been since he'd announced his team's involvement.

"_This isn't so easy," Gai said, being quite serious for once. "You are rushing things. Iruka is right. My team waited a year to gain greater abilities."_

_The recognition he received from Maito Gai didn't go unnoticed by Iruka. He glanced over in surprise at this, but didn't say anything since this wasn't his conversation._

"_Let them mature a little more first…" Gai advised._

_It was actually very rational advice. Most others would've taken it, since it was hardly disagreeable. But this was Kakashi's team and he knew them best, as well as their greatly increasing capabilities and teamwork. It was this thought that drew an arrogant snort from Kakashi._

"_They may not be perfect…" he said quietly. "But they'll quickly blow by your guys."_

_This, of course, got an indignant growl from Gai. He was about to continue his argument when Sandaime spoke up, "That's enough. Now we will nominate the non-rookie genins."_

_Before the conversation came to an end, Kakashi spoke one last time. "Well, just don't complain afterwards."_

_Gai made no attempt to respond._

He now realized that he may have made a mistake. It had been pathetically obvious that they were scared. But would they decide that end this before it even got serious?

As if in response that his silent question, a sudden very loud voice erupted from behind the closed doors. As if the yell had been water, it washed away any concerns he had.

"_MY NAME IS UZUMAKI NARUTO! I WON'T LOSE TO YOU TEMES! YOU GOT THAT!_"**

* * *

**"Ah…" Naruto sighed, feeling deeply relieved as a genuine foxy smile spread across his face. "That felt great!"

"Hey!" Ino demanded, glaring at Sakura as though she'd done it. "What is that!"

Sakura didn't even try to answer, too busy giving her teammate a disgusted grimace. _He's too stupid to get down_, she realized.

Many of the shinobi who'd either had been ignoring the rookies or trying to scare them, now decided to try to turn the loud whiskered blonde into ashes with they combined glares. Among the crowd, the Suna siblings glanced up in surprise at the familiar voice.

"Hey…" Kankuro said with a smirk. "It's that guy from before…" This was perfect. If he was in the exam too, then maybe he could get the teme back for his humiliation earlier.

Gaara just stared impassively up toward the blonde.

"He's very spirited," Neji said to Lee. "Too bad you didn't try to beat him down, Lee."

Lee didn't bother to reply. He just stared up at him, suddenly desiring to a match with blonde who displayed such a fiery youthfulness.

"…You won't lose to those bastards?" the Nara boy repeated. What was his game? Did he want a roomful of enemies? "Big words…inakamono."

"What the hell are you doing!" Sakura literally yelled into his ear as she put him into a choke hold.

"I was just…speaking…the truth!" he managed to gasp out.

Busy reprimanding Naruto, Sakura and the other rookies didn't even notice the movement of the Oto-nin. Kabuto picked them up instantly and was watching them from the corner of his eye. Even though he was facing and reacting to Sakura's lecture, Naruto had his full attention of the sudden spiked killer intents he sensed. They were coming closer, very fast.

He was slightly relieved when they didn't seem to be targeting him, but rather that creepy Kabuto guy. He watched the ensuing face-off with interest. Kabuto had good speed and he did indeed handle himself like an experienced jounin. But the bandaged shinobi's attack drew his attention.

Since he had some experience with fuuton jutsus, he had a pretty good guess what had caused Kabuto's glasses to break and his following reflexive gurgitation. He wasn't the only one watching this as quite a few shinobi had sensed the Oto-nins rapid movement.

But before the fight could escalate further, a sudden explosion drew everyone's attention to front of the classroom. A loud and demanding voice shouted out, "Quiet down you worthless bastards!"

Standing in place of the smokescreen were at least thirty scary looking Chuunins. All of them had either an ugly snarl on their face or an arrogant smirk. But the man standing in front of them was the most terrifying figure among them, accented by the long scars across his face.

He gazed upon the chuunin-hopefuls like a predator looking for worthy or easy prey. "I'm Morino Ibiki, the Examiner for the Chuunin Selection Exam's first test."

His almost hungry gaze instantly began to grate on the nerves of many of the genins. This wasn't a man that they wanted to cross, they could tell instantly. They were quite relieved when his prey of choice turned out to be the Oto-nin, who didn't seem to care that the man's actions.

One of the many things Naruto hated in the world was what this Ibiki man soon revealed was going to be their first exam. He didn't have to act when he made his opinion on the exam known…

"What? You mean the first test is a _paper exam!_"

He was groaning quite loudly as he took his assigned seat, drooping onto the table while cradling his head as though it already hurt. The genin that knew him found this rather amusing. He had always had the worst paper test scores, always.

In his mind, he was torn. He wanted to continue with his act, being the dead last baka that everyone knew. But if he did that, he would most definitely fail this exam. That was not an opinion. Yet, if his suspicions were correct, this test would mean that only those of Chuunin level would be able to test and pass this test. Should just answer the minimum required? Or should he actually try his best?

So caught up in his musings, he didn't notice a familiar patch of indigo hair next to him until a slight movement and a familiar scent from that direction drew his attention. Peeking over out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hinata sitting next to him. She wore a familiar blush which began to deepen as she noticed him staring.

"Hey, Hinata!" he said happily. This resulted in a severe blushing fit from the said girl. Timidly, she smiled back at him.**

* * *

**Her time in the first test was easily the most exhilarating and nerve-wracking time of her life. She was so close to Naruto, but also so far. It had taken her very little effort to see the true purpose of the exam, but as whether Naruto did or was trying to follow the rules laid down was questionable; even with the Byakugan she couldn't be sure.

Believing that he needed help, she'd tried to offer her answers to him. But he didn't want her to get in trouble, so he refused. He was actually more concerned about getting her through the first test than himself? This thought filled her up with a immense happiness and overwhelming embarrassment.

But when the tenth question came, Hinata felt sure that he'd probably refuse to give up. Predictably, he did just that…quite loudly. Hinata would have been teetering on the edge, probably willing to give up long before Naruto's shout had she not been so close to him. But he banished her fears in an instant, along with everyone else's still remaining.

The second exam proctor showed after the purpose of the tenth question had been explained. She made an entrance that Naruto could've been proud of…had she not misinterpreted the atmosphere in the room. It was actually a little amusing to Hinata.

Shortly after, they arrived at the location of the second exam. Inevitably, the shy Hyuuga had to part with Naruto which saddened her considerably. Yet the fact that the boy seemed to wish to linger near her didn't pass by her notice. Why, when Sakura was on his team, would he want to be by her? Shy, little, dark, and ugly Hinata?

The forest was even larger on the inside than it looked on the outside. The enormous trees that formed the tree line were very efficient at hiding the large open areas between the trees, as well as providing excellent cover for the carnivorous animals that lived inside them.

Only those born and raised near such creatures or those with exceptionally dangerous skills could evade them…or use; as the Team Eight so easily proved.

It seemed that an older genin team didn't appreciate that these rookies could get this far into the exam and quickly targeted them. What they saw was their desired team standing in an open area, plainly in sight. What they didn't see until it was too late was a swarm of jumping leaches. Panicking, they killed a vast portion of them but only ended up setting off a trap that Kiba and Shino set up while Hinata had monitored their approach.

This was how Team Eight proudly discovered their heaven scroll. Now all they needed was a fast journey to the tower.**

* * *

**The screams of various shinobi echoed faintly throughout the forest. To know that they were in a foreign landscape with enemies that could be lurking in the shadows watching them was enough to scare even the bravest at heart. For somewhat fresh genins who'd never had a truly serious battle against an enemy shinobi before, it was a very unnerving ordeal.

"This place is creeping me out," Sakura said quietly as they stopped for a break. Team Seven had been traveling nonstop from the moment they entered the forest. In the span of an hour, they were close to six of the ten kilometers inside the forest.

"I'm telling you, Sakura," Naruto said for the thirtieth time. "It's no big deal."

Turning around, Naruto started walking towards a tree. Calling over his shoulder, he said, "I'm gonna take a leak."

"Like I wanted to know that, Naruto!" Sakura snapped. Unbidden, thoughts of spying on Sasuke doing such an act drifted through her mind and made Inner Sakura chuckle like a pervert.

Sasuke, though he didn't show it, was constantly scanning the surrounding the area. They could be ambushed by enemies at any second. There was no way he was going to get caught by surprise.

That's when he felt it. Something was off.

It was scarcely a moment later when a cry sounded from where Naruto was disappeared to. Glancing in that direction, the two genin watched as body was thrown savagely against the trunk of a tree. The fact that the body wasn't dressed in orange had them reaching for kunai and shuriken instinctively.

"That was just plain rude!" Naruto's loud voice yelled from behind the tree. "You could've waited until I finished before doing that!"

Jumping to his feet, the Ame-nin surveyed the situation. His element of surprise was gone. But that didn't truly matter much. These were just rookies right? They were probably still wet behind the ears in the ways of the world and shinobi. He could handle them easy.

"Since you've ruined my fun," he said, unsheathing a pair of kunai. "Why don't you save me the trouble and tell me which of you has the scroll!"

The two in front of him flinched at the evil glare he was shooting at them. This was even easier than he thought! If he could scare them with such a weak killer intent, that scroll was as good as his. Then he could show that teme of a leader that he wasn't just an incompetent baka.

"Unfortunately you've forced me to be direct!" he snapped as he charged forward.

Sasuke leapt high into the air, eyes flashing red as his hands blurred through well-practiced seals. Inhaling deeply, he hastily calculated the ame-nin's trajectory. "Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!"

Zipping between the fireballs, the ame-nin leapt up to meet the Uchiha in the air. But he was intercepted by blonde and green blur halfway through and got a fist in the gut. Forgetting about his original target, the Ame-nin made to stab the blonde blur in the back. But his arm was caught in a strong grip that he couldn't break. Glancing towards the resistance, he could only watch helplessly as a pair of feet come racing into his face. The attack knocked him straight down into and made a considerable crater in the hard ground.

Landing lightly nearby, Naruto and Sasuke watched the prone body of the shinobi for a moment. Cautiously approaching, it was apparent to them that teenager was unconscious.

Looking at one another, they nodded with a mutual feeling of respect and gratitude. It was then that Sasuke blinked in surprise. Where everything else was clear and sharp to his gaze thanks to the Sharingan, his teammate was blindingly bright blue. He could see the blonde's body, but nothing to distinguish him by. Dropping his Sharingan instantly, he was even more surprised to see that Naruto was using the Oboro no Jutsu. How could he do that?

"Uh…Sasuke-kun? Naruto?" Sakura said hesitantly. "I think we need to leave."

"Yeah," Naruto said from his kneeling position. There was nothing of any interest on this incompetent Ame-nin's body; namely the Chi Scroll.**

* * *

**It was some time and distance later that they stopped again. This time it was to discuss how to distinguish themselves from henged teki-nin. What Sasuke came up with was an excerpt from a poem that Naruto knew, truthfully, he couldn't remember if his life truly depended on it. Which was why he probably chose it; Naruto knew that they were being watched, just like Sasuke.

Yet he still had a role to play.

"And you expect me to remember that…" he mused quietly. "_HOW!_"

"You are such an idiot," Sakura said tiredly. "_I've_ already got it down."

Sensing the presence leaving, Naruto felt his nerves begin to go on edge. There was something…different about this presence. But he didn't let that interrupt his argument, which was actually kind of nice since it helped him calm his nerves. "We need a better password. How about 'swordfish'?"

"I'll take the scroll," Sasuke said to Sakura as he stood up, knowing what was coming.

Then the wind kicked in…

* * *

Being digested by the largest snake he'd ever seen before wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Plus the smell of its innards when he'd cut his way out with Kaze Kiwa was positively revolting. Once he'd cleared the stench from his nose and clothes in a small spring he chanced across, he rushed to where he sensed his teammates were fighting.

It seemed that the Kusa-nin was just playing with Sasuke and Sakura while his teammates watched from a distance. Not desiring fighting this pair of unknown teki-nin, Naruto went straight for where he sensed the true threat.

He watched carefully as his friends were blasted against the worst killer intent that he'd ever seen. Due to the fact that he was expertly hidden and watching from a reasonably safe distance, the effect on him was considerable weaker. That fact that Sasuke was still able to react fast enough to save Sakura greatly impressed him, especially given the fact that he willingly given himself a superficial wound.

Shaking himself of his own fear, he silently adjusted his position. In less than a few minutes of studying the way this Kusa-nin fought, he saw a rather unique similarity in all the jutsus he used. He had an affinity with snakes; the way he fought from the inside a snake's skin, had a disgustingly long tongue, and slithered up around a tree branch.

Quickly formulating a plan, he called forth several Kage Bunshins and shifted his position. This would require very careful timing; especially given the way he could tell this man was toying with Sasuke.**

* * *

**"—for the predator!" the creepy Kusa-nin said after he emerged from within the snake. Rushing up a tree branch, he slithered up its length until a trio of shuriken halted his journey.

"Gomen, Sasuke…" a familiar voice yelled proudly as all heads turned toward its source. "I forgot that stupid password."

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled out, feeling immense relief to know that he was still alive. "That was awesome!"

Sasuke scowled at the blonde. "This isn't the time to get psyched up, dobe! It would be better to run for your life! This guy is way out of our league!"

This drew a chuckle from the man. "My compliments on defeating my snake…Naruto," the man added the name as an afterthought; as though he considered it a burden to deal with the blonde in a moderately polite manner.

Sasuke watched as the blonde glared viciously at the man. It went without saying that the blonde hadn't listened to a word that he'd said. At the rate that he was fighting, Sasuke knew that he was going to lose. His chakra was draining at a ridiculous rate and his Sharingan, while helping, was becoming a slight burden to maintain. Despite how minimal, it still sapped his precious reserves. Though he knew that Naruto had very large reserves himself and was moderately fresh, he also knew that this Kusa-nin wasn't even winded yet.

There was only one option that he could see that could save them. Besides as long as they struck fast and viciously, they'd be able to gain both scrolls eventually, right? It was this thought that had him drop his Sharingan as Naruto was issuing his challenge to the Kusa-nin.

"I'll give you our scroll," he called to the teki as he pulled out the aforementioned item. "if you'll let us go!"

This, of course, drew Naruto's immediate yell of disbelief. Sasuke didn't care; he wanted to get away from this man as quickly as possible. Ignoring the blonde's ranting, he threw the scroll towards the man. Only to have Naruto intercept it in a burst of speed that rivaled even his own.

"Baka!" he yelled. "What are you doing!"

Naruto had no reserves against hitting Sasuke in the face, hard. The blow knocked him off one tree limb to another about twenty feet away.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke demanded as he righted himself. That had actually hurt!

"Don't you yell at me, feiku!" Naruto snapped. This wasn't what he'd planned at all and Sasuke was ruining whatever plans he could think up at a moment's notice.

"Naruto," the Uchiha growled. "…you baka! I'm me!"

"That's bullshit!" the blonde growled, glaring dangerously at him. "The Sasuke I know isn't a coward. Besides, even if we hand over the scroll…there's no guarantee he'd spare us!"

This thought struck Sasuke like a sledgehammer. He hadn't considered that, too caught in his desire to escape with his and teammates' lives. If he'd even had a comeback for that, it was cut off when the Kusa-nin let loose a sickening cackle.

"Very good, Naruto-kun!" the man said. "You're quite right!"

Sliding up his left sleeve, a dark tattoo was revealed. The man bit his thumb, drawing blood, as he continued, "Why bargain when I can simply kill you and take the scroll?"

The man smeared the blood upon the tattoo and began to go through handseals. Naruto glared at the man and rushed him, ignoring his teammates' pleas for him to stop. Whatever jutsu the man was unleashing, it wasn't gonna be good. He still needed to stall for them to escape.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu," the man said simply.

The sudden appearance of an enormous snake, easily three times larger than the earlier ones, froze all the genins in place. Almost faster than they could see, the snake snapped its tail forward toward the attacking blonde. Instinctively leaping up to avoid, Naruto gasped as he saw the tree under him break under the force of the snake's tail like it was little more than tissue paper.

But because he was now suspended in the air and unable to move fast enough, he couldn't miraculously dodge the gigantic serpent again. It caught him bodily, slamming into him with enough force to crush bones.

"Naruto!" the pair shouted, feeling miserable for not being able to help.

Everyone was startled when the blonde burst into smoke and vanished.

"What the?" Sakura said, very confused. If that was a Kage Bunshin, where was the real Naruto?

_That gaki can use the Kage Bunshin?_ Orochimaru wondered. Such a feat was unheard of for a genin. The fact that he'd been able to fool him into believing that it was the real Naruto surprised him even more. To be able to grant a clone a personality that was an almost perfect replica of the original was a level of skill that even most upper Jounin couldn't achieve.

"Looking for someone?" the blonde's voice called out. All heads snapped towards where there stood a blurry image of another blonde on a high branch.

"Yeah, I think they are!" Naruto's voice called out from the ground level.

"Who could they be looking?" a third stood smugly behind Sakura, arms crossed arrogantly.

"ME!" the final voice caused Orochimaru to visibly flinch. It had come from only a few feet from behind him!

Snapping around, he threw a fast punch at the blonde. But he was surprised when he missed. Even more so when he couldn't see the boy clearly, despite being so close. The blonde was in his face in an instant with a kunai aimed straight for his throat. Ducking out of the boy's short reach, he snapped a kick out into the blonde's gut. It didn't take him so much by surprise when he burst into smoke.

"Enmaku no Jutsu!" Turning to face the other approaching blondes, he got hit in the face with a dense smokescreen. Though it didn't concern him, with a mere Hitfuki no Jutsu, he scattered the smoke and sent a pair of blondes into tree trunks.

When both burst into smoke, Orochimaru looked expectantly at the last blonde. Naruto stood on the ground still, having not moved once. The boy had a devious foxy grin on his face that made Orochimaru stare for a moment; it looked kind of familiar, but from where?

Naruto's arm snapped off to the side, casting a shuriken. It cut a small string. A trap! From all directions, swarms of shuriken, kunai, even sharpened rocks and sticks were sent flying at high speeds at the giant snake and its summoner. The numerous projectiles effectively pummeled the snake into nonexistence, but Orochimaru had vanished by the time that the smoke had cleared.

"He's gone?" Sasuke said, in disbelief. _No way_, he realized. _That was_ too _easy!_

"Kukukukuku!" a slithering voice called from everywhere at once. "This is much too fun!"

Naruto had no warning. The man had burst from under the ground and slammed a fist into his gut. Collapsing onto his knees and gasping loudly, Naruto knew he was in serious trouble. This man was even better than he thought.

"You are an interesting boy, Naruto-kun," Orochimaru said with a serpentine sneer. "I wonder what would've become of you had you been born in my village."

"I'd have…made it my…mission in life to…torture you to death," Naruto wheezed out as he fought to stand again.

"Now that's not a good attitude to have towards a power far superior to you," the snake said as his sneer widened.

"That a problem for you?" Naruto snapped, finally making it to his feet. Yanking out a kunai, he made to stab the man in the chest. But he was kneed in the stomach again by the Kusa-nin. This time the blow sent him flying a far distance, or would've if that tree hadn't been there. After leaving a noticeable imprint in the bark, the blonde enigma slumped to the ground, genuinely unconscious.**

* * *

**When a girl is alone in a forest filled with dangerous creatures and enemies and is at the point of a panic attack, the only thing that can keep her from losing her cool is training that had been burned into her subconscious. She needed to do something that would help keep her mind off of the horrors that had occurred to her teammates.

She'd dragged both her teammates down to ground level and hid among a thick cluster of roots. It was moderate concealment but would be lousy protection in the case of an attack. She knew that there was high chance that the team of shinobi that she'd sensed earlier would attack at dawn. But she couldn't take that chance.

Thus during the night she set up a bunshin to pretend to be her tending to her teammates injures. Meanwhile, she was busy setting up a pretty clever trap with a section of a destroyed tree and a false trap underneath. Many shinobi would be able to see the telltale signs of a trap on the ground. But few at their current level would consider one from above.

The Oto-nin, when they finally made their move, fell for the trick just as she thought they would. It was actually embarrassingly easy to fool them into thinking that they'd spotted the real trap. But the fact that the one that looked like a mummy was able to demolish the tree log somehow came as a shock.

Sakura was in trouble and she knew it. Even if she wasn't fatigued, she wouldn't be able to stand up to any of them by herself. That much she was certain of.

Then Rock Lee appeared. For one of the first times in her life, Sakura was extremely happy to see someone she'd otherwise not be seen around. The fact that this weird kid was unbelievably strong and ridiculously fast only increased her newfound appreciation of him.

Yet not even he stood much chance against these shinobi. Rendered disoriented by the sound wave attack to his inner eardrum, he could only watch as Sakura was forced to fend for herself. It was then that she realized that all her time as a kunoichi had been spent being protected by other people. Now it was her turn to protect her friends.

And she wanted them to be proud of that.

However, if it wasn't for the timely arrival of Team Ten, she still would've lost, despite fighting like a beast. It would seem that now that a full team had finally arrived, as well as Sakura, the Konoha genins would be at the advantage. But thanks to the Oto-nins' underhanded and cruel tactics, they were still able to gain the upper hand.

Or it would've seemed until Neji and Tenten made their presences known. It was quite clear that they were extremely irritated, namely Neji. Plus the aura that he was radiating just spelt pain for any it was directed at. Especially when he activated his Byakugan; which was just as effective at intimidation as its other uses.

It was because of this that he was able to spot a sudden rise in chakra. Though the chakra was vastly different from any he'd ever seen before, he immediately knew it was powerful. It was coming from the prone figures of the two genins behind Sakura.

"—then stop acting cool and come down here…" Dosu taunted.

"No," Neji said with smirk as his Byakugan vanished. "It seems…that won't be necessary…"

This drew confused stares from many of the gathered genin. That is until Sakura noticed a movement behind her. Turning around, she spotted Naruto and Sasuke slowly climbing to their feet.

"Sasuke-kun!" she said surprised. "Naruto! You're awake..."

Everyone stared at the gruesome sight before them. Sasuke was partially covered in a strange black pattern that looked vaguely like flames. To add to this fearsome sight as well as the aura of violent purple chakra and barely controlled fury he was emitting, his recently enhanced Sharingan glowed brightly.

Naruto stayed crouched on the ground like an animal. A foul red chakra was swirling around him and sent unconditional fear down the backs of all present. His usually happy blue eyes were now red and slitted, glaring dangerously at the Oto-nins. His once cute whisker marks were broader and darker, and along with slightly longer fangs, gave a bestial look in primal hatred.

"Sakura…" Sasuke said, speaking for Naruto. "Who…did that to you…?"

"Sasuke…Naruto?" she said, uncertain of them anymore. "Your bodies…"

The boys glanced at themselves, then at each other. As if on silent agreement, they turned and slowly walked passed Sakura, forming a shield with their bodies. Sasuke seemed to have taken the role of spokesman for the pair as he said, "Don't worry… We feel…strong, powerful."

Returning his attention to the Oto-nin, he demanded fiercely, "It was you guys, right?"

Shikamaru saw the danger and did the only thing a rational person would do. Snatching up Ino's limp body, he dashed for cover as he yelled, "Ino, hurry up and return to your body! Choji, we're hiding!"

Neither of them needed to be told twice.

Dosu, having been more aware of Orochimaru's secret seals, knew they were trouble as the boys, Sasuke in particular, focused on them. The chakra that was rolling off of them was enormous; far too powerful for any normal genin should be able to generate, even with a curse seal on their necks.

Zaku was ignorant of the power of the curse seal. This was why he, being the rash one, brought his hands up and prepared for an attack. "Dosu!" he called with a smirk. "Don't be afraid these half dead freaks!"

"No, Zaku!" Dosu yelled but it was too late.

Zaku brought his hands toward Team Seven and sent a very large blast of air at the genins. "Zankukyokuha no Jutsu!" he yelled.

The blast kicked up a huge gust of wind that blew everything away that wasn't very firmly secured to the ground. But the blast itself, rather than carrying on and dissolving into nothing when it lost its power, met a very surprising end. As soon as it closed in on Team Seven, it was suddenly diverted and sent flying up into the forest canopy.

Once the wind and debris settled down, the genins were greeted with a surprising sight. There stood Naruto with his arm outstretched, as it he'd just batted away an annoying pest. Racing around his arm was an angry typhoon of wind and chakra. But that was impossible!

"What the!" Zaku screamed in surprise and outrage. "You should've been blown away!"

"Blown who away?" a voice asked from behind him.

Zaku had only enough time to register the Uchiha's presence behind him when he was effortlessly swatted away. The blow sent him careening out of control, before he came face to face with another red-eyed genin. Naruto's kick to his gut knocked him back and into a tree on the other side of the clearing.

"So, you're the only one left…" Sasuke said with snaky sneer at Dosu. "I hope you let me have more fun this time, Naruto…"

Naruto sent a death glare at the Uchiha before facing Dosu as well.

Sakura realized that this wasn't the Sasuke that she grown to love. This Sasuke enjoyed fighting. This Sasuke lusted for killing and torturing his enemies. This Sasuke was just like the Oto-nin Orochimaru.

And Naruto wasn't the same either. He was filled with fury. He no longer cared who he had to kill, as long as his friends were safe. Naruto was flaunting his power and superior skills like she'd never seen before. The fact that he didn't seem to care either also was like a punch to the gut. The Naruto she knew would never act like this.

"STOP!" she yelled, latching herself on to Sasuke who was closer to her. Two pairs of angry and surprised red eyes looked at her. What they saw was tears streaming down Sakura's face. "Please stop, you two…"

The effect on Sasuke was subtle but noticeable; the strange marks on his body began to slowly recede. But the farther they retreated, the faster they went. The evil feeling was leaving his system as he calmed down.

Naruto merely blinked confused. Then his eyes abruptly returned to their bright blue as his red chakra vanished in an instant. The sudden loss of power and the exertion it had put on his body had the added effect of knocking him unconscious where he stood.

Releasing that this girl had just saved his and his teammates' lives, Dosu pensively laid their Chi Scroll on the ground and was fast to collect Zaku and Kin. He didn't wish to tempt fate, so he ignored Sakura's cry to wait and disappeared as fast as his body could carry him.

Neji was gazing down at the boys. The chakra that he'd seen was abnormal. Normal chakra was blue, yet the Uchiha's was a purple and black color and the Uzumaki's was blood red. Not only had that been strange, but the pure amount of the chakra that was coming off them been extremely large; especially from the blonde.

Yet now the chakra from them was either suppressed or hidden away in strange seals on their bodies. Where had they gotten such seals? It was inconceivable that such seals could even exist!

But whatever it was that allowed them to wield such dreadful powers, it wouldn't stand up to the power of a Hyuuga genius. It just…_couldn't!_**

* * *

**Man, this chapter was a pain in the ass to write.

I've got some news people. I'm at the fort now, but because of how busy I'm going to be once the 4th has passed, I'm willing to bet that this may be the last chapter for at least two weeks. I don't have a computer in my room and the library on post has peculiar hours, so I've got to get laptop which could take easily another month. I ask that you be patient. I'll do my very best to next chapter out very soon!

Inakamono**>>Clown**

Ame**>> Rain**

Chi**>> Earth**

Tek**i>> Enemy**

Kusa**>> Grass**

Feiku**>> Fake**

Hitfuki**>> Gust**


	15. Power of a Kunoichi

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan **

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 15—Power of a Kunoichi

"Banzai!" yelled twelve blondes as they jumped into a small stream.

The force of so many bodies impacting the water sent up large splashes of water and anything else that was in it. But what the dark Uchiha was aiming for were the fish. In that single splash, he was able to pin ten of the eleven salmon that the blondes had managed to kick out.

"That should be enough, Naruto," Sasuke called out as he resurfaced.

"Ah, come on!" he yelled. "I'm hungry! I want something to snack on later!"

"No," Sasuke snapped. "We need to travel light."

"Fine!" he growled as he moved to where the fish were pinned to various trees.

Despite surviving for nearly four days and about to have the first decent meal in about as much time, none of the genin were in a good mood. They had lost their Ten Scroll, been attacked by an Oto-nin who was probably upper Jounin in terms of power, Sasuke had gotten a strange seal on his neck, Sakura was deprived of a full night's rest, and Naruto was just trying to avoid his teammates when they tried to question his power from the previous morning. In all, they were in very bad moods.

As they sat about waiting for the fish to cook, Naruto was pointedly remaining outside of the conversation. Sakura and Sasuke were discussing the details and chances of passing. If there was one thing that Naruto had come to hate over the years, it was people telling him that the _chances_ of his passing.

Then, over the alluring scent of the cooking fish, a new scent wafted up his nostril. The scent was followed by an extremely soft padding of scandals on trees and the ruffling of clothes.

Leaping to his feet, Naruto threw a shuriken where he detected the presence. His sudden action drew the others surprised glances before they looked to where they heard the sound of a kunai repelling the shuriken.

"Who's there?" Sakura called out.

She never liked the idea of people spying on her. The fact that they were in a forest and at war with literally ever other team didn't sit well with her. Over her time on Team Seven, she'd slowly come to realize just how acute Naruto's sensory abilities were. Combined with how serious of a position they were in, she knew he'd never just do random acts.

"How did you know I was here?" asked a familiar patch of gray hair as the teenaged genin emerged from the foliage.

"Have you smelled yourself lately?" Naruto demanded, rubbing the underside of his nose with a look of disgust. "Take a bath; you reek of sweat and blood."

Kabuto had the dignity to look sheepish.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, on edge in case he should make a sudden move.

"Oh, I just smelled something good over this way," he said, gesturing towards the half eaten fish.

"A likely story," Naruto grumbled, turning away to return to his fish.

"What are you doing all the way out here without your teammates?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, I'm not after your scroll," he said, reaching into his bag. "I've already gotten both of mine."

Quick as lightning, Naruto attacked. His rush was straight and simple, trying to grab onto the Ten Scroll while knocking Kabuto into disorientation. But the gray-haired genin was faster than he looked. He easily dodged and shoved Naruto violently back.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled. "What do you think you're doing!"

"Getting the Ten Scroll!" he yelled as he bounced to his feet, cradling his injured side. That bastard had somehow stabbed him with a senbon when he threw him back.

"Don't bother, Naruto-kun," Kabuto said with a knowing smile. "If I got my second scroll alone, I think I can easily beat all three of you."

This thought froze Naruto just as he was to lunge. Scowling dangerously, he returned to his position by the fire, eating his fish and pointedly not looking at their visitor. This amused Kabuto to a degree, such a hothead with a determination that could probably outshine Orochimaru-sama.

"Listen," Kabuto said, trying to calm the obviously irritate blonde. "I understand that you want to get to the tower, but don't you think that you could use my help?"

"No," growled three voices simultaneously.

Sasuke was just finally starting to enjoy this exam and he wanted at least one more fight before they reached the tower. Plus there was the chance that he'd somehow unlock that mysterious chakra he'd wielded, which once he'd tasted it he was now thirsting for more of it.

Sakura was tired of this forest. While this strange teenager's help would've been welcomed, his 'know-it-all' attitude left much to be desired. With a sigh, she turned and started to dig through her supplies. If she knew her teammates, then they were going to need what she had mind.

Naruto just flat out disliked this teenager to the point of aggressively attacking him to keep him away.

Caught slightly off-guard by the unanimous vote, Kabuto chuckled nervously with a hesitant smile. Maybe it wasn't the wisest choice trying to gain their trust on this obviously bad day for them. Then again, Orochimaru had made it abundantly clear that Sasuke was to pass this exam.

The exact reasons behind this were only known to himself, but Kabuto suspected it to do with the Uchiha's inevitable fight against Gaara. That was why Kabuto had decided to find and aid them in obtaining their missing scroll. It was a good idea in theory. But the execution of it was now hitting slightly unforeseen road bumps.

From the calculative looks that the boys were giving him and each other, it was painfully obviously what they were seriously considering doing. The fact that Sakura seemed more annoyed by his presence, Kabuto was willing to bet that she'd join in if her teammates chose to attack. Even though she seemed more interested in digging through the various scrolls that she held in her bag.

But if they did attack, what should he do? They didn't give him a chance to decide.

With speed that was too great for an average genin, Sasuke charged him with Naruto on his heels. Bringing his arms up in a reflexive defense, Sasuke's fists blurred as he sent a series of punches at him. Naruto dashed around him and threw a kick at his unprotected back. Jumping high into the air, Kabuto somersaulted over them.

Landing behind Sakura, he snatched a kunai as he took a fistful of her hair. Holding up the kunai to her throat, he glared dangerously at them as they halted their charges. They glared at him as strange features began spreading across their bodies.

He had suspected that Orochimaru-sama had given a curse seal to the Uchiha by now. Now it was proven true. The marks spreading from his neck could only have been formed by the 'heaven' curse seal, one of the most powerful. The vile chakra that was beginning to leak out him was growing at an astounding rate. But it paled in comparison to Naruto.

His eyes had changed to red and his pupils had become slits, like a cat or something. His whisker marks were slowly broadening and darkening. The red chakra that was flowing out of him that gave Kabuto instinctive shivers of primal fear. Along with slightly longer teeth and sharpened claws, his glare was particularly fearsome. _What is that? Is that a new curse seal?_

"I'd not do that," he said blandly, hiding his nervousness at fighting these tag-teaming demons. "Unless you want a dead kunoichi on your consciousness."

"Coward," Naruto growled as he forcefully tried to calm himself. It was just too damn easy to let that kitsune-bastard's chakra seep out when he was very angry. He'd have to look into that later. "Hiding behind a girl to escape us."

"Why not fight us like the shinobi you're supposed to be?" Sasuke demanded, his Sharingan flashing dangerously.

"Because I have nothing to gain from having a pointless brawl you two, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun," he said easily. Pressing the kunai a bit more forcefully into Sakura's neck, enough to draw blood, he continued, "Besides, even with all three of you fighting together, it would hardly be fair for you."

It was this statement that broke the dam that held her back. The combination of her irritation with Kabuto, his nerve to use her as a shield, threatening her, cutting her, and then calling her weak (if indirectly) led to something that had only once happened in the recent past. She gave in to Inner Sakura, allowing her to come to surface and take hold of her.

****

This creep is going to pay!

"So you're calling me weak?" Sakura asked quietly, with a feigned calmness. Her question drew all attention to her helpless form. "I think you're forgetting something, Kabuto…"

Hefting her leg back at the knee, she sent a vicious kick at the most sensitive and universal weakness of all males. The unexpected force behind that sudden kick to his groin had Kabuto reflexively releasing her and he made to cradle his wounded organ. But Sakura didn't give him the chance.

Whirling around, she planted a punch into his face, throwing his torso in the opposite direction it desired to go as she yelled out, "_I'M A KUNOICHI OF KONOHAGAKURE!_"

Utilizing her newfound freedom, Sakura snatched a kunai from her holster and a quickly slapped an explosive tag on it. Casting it at the glasses wearing teenager, she instantly dashed to the side to avoid the following explosion

The blast was small for an explosive tag but it was most certainly sufficient to send a powerful gust of wind through the air. Steadying himself, Kabuto hid a smirk as he watched Sakura try to sneak up behind him. It seemed that he'd struck a cord with her temper. She was so focused on hurting him, killing him, that she didn't even register Sasuke's and Naruto's surprised gazes on her as she rushed at him. That little beating was far from the end of what she had planned for him!

Using a familiar combination, Sakura formed a trio of Bunshins as she charged the quickly recovering Kabuto. Not copying her mistake in Wave Country when she threw a series of shuriken at him, her clones copied her. The real projectiles, lost among the numerous images, had little trouble hitting the spy.

Ignoring the weapons embedded in his arms and chest, Kabuto threw a swarm of kunai at her and the bunshins. All the Sakura suddenly burst into logs, complete with kunai protruding from them. Suddenly the four Sakura appeared around him with kunai in both hands. Kabuto was having a harder time trying to disguise his smirk. This level of fighting was pathetically easy for him.

He knew exactly which one was her and he was pretty sure what her goal was. She wanted the scroll, otherwise she would have tried a much more aggressive attack pattern or even asked the boys to fight for her. Then he felt her reach into his weapons' pouch and replace the Ten Scroll with another.

Kabuto's lust for battle was starting to rise, as was his old blood. Sasuke and Naruto noticed the sudden change in his eyes instantly. What was that?

But it was at that moment that Sakura decided to reveal herself. She latched herself onto his back, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and her legs around his waist. She even made it a point to jam her heel into his still very tender area. Much to the boys' surprise, the strange look in his eyes disappeared as he grabbed hold of her arms as she started to tighten her grip. Using all her strength and focusing as much of her chakra as she could to remain attached to him, Sakura squeezed as tightly as she could.

Slowly, painfully slowly, Sakura was trying vainly to squeeze the life out of him. The fact that she wasn't loosening her grip and Kabuto was getting irritated with this pointless battle drove him to act. With one arm, he snatched a kunai and stabbed it back towards her face. When she moved to catch the blade, he made his move. Twisting around her weakened grip, he dropped the kunai and used the same hand to land a punch in her face.

As the girl was thrown back, he felt a sudden spike from a pair of powerful chakra signatures behind him. With even stopping to look, he dashed for the shelter of the forest and foliage. He almost let out a breath of relief when he didn't sense the boys following him.

Stopping a short distance away from the campsite, he sat down and gingerly rubbed his wounds. The wounds of the flesh were healed quickly enough with his healing jutsu. The fact that she was supposedly the 'weakest' of Team Seven was a slight prick to his pride. He made a mental note to never underestimate a kunoichi's strength, much less an enraged kunoichi.

A slight movement drew his attention to the side. It was a trio of Ame-nin that were heading towards the campsite. Evidently they'd seen the entire the fight from a distance and had decided to act now, probably not considering him worth their time.

He finally allowed his earlier smirk to cross his face before he dashed forward and promptly broke all three of their necks. While he couldn't seem to help Sasuke-kun reach the tower, he could at least clear the path ahead them. It wasn't quite what he'd had in mind originally, but it would have to do.

**

* * *

**"Sakura!" Naruto cried as he dashed forward. "Are you alright? That was awesome! You kicked his ass!" 

"Shut up, Naruto," Sasuke snapped, though he couldn't suppress the odd smirk on his face. It seemed that Sakura had more power in her than he thought she had. It was actually kind of relieving to him to find this.

"Of course I did," Sakura said as she sat up, rubbing her aching jaw. "I had plenty of practice."

Naruto's widely smiling face instantly disappeared and was replaced by a large pouting frown. "That's not nice, Sakura!"

"Get up," Sasuke ordered, glancing in the direction that the strange genin had disappeared to. "We need to hurry! Maybe we can still catch him!"

Smiling secretively, Sakura looked squarely into Sasuke's now normal dark eyes. Pointedly shaking her head, she said, "No need to do that, Sasuke-kun."

"What?" he demanded. "Why?" What was she playing at?

Her smile turned into a devious smirk that put even his best to shame. Rummaging in her small weapon's pouch, she pulled out a scroll…the Ten Scroll!

"What the!" Naruto cried upon seeing the scroll. "When did--wait, was it when you jumped on his back?"

"Before," she said, as her smirk wider. "When I was dashing around him and he was focusing on the Bunshins."

"But wouldn't he notice it missing?"

"Nope," she said. "I replaced it with another that I put a genjutsu on."

"You mean," Sasuke said, instantly realizing what she'd been doing before the fight even began. "when you digging in the bag? That was when you did it?"

"Well, duh!" she said, looking between the pair of them as a chuckle escaped her. "You are both so predictable sometimes."

Naruto and Sasuke stared at Sakura for a moment like she'd grown a second head. Then they looked at each other and realized she was right. It was pretty obvious they'd planned it since they'd learned Kabuto having both scrolls.

Loud, genuinely happy laughter erupted from all three as the hilarity of it hit them.

**

* * *

**The tower was quiet and peaceful, quite unlike what was happening outside it. Yet what was happening in the control room was admittedly much more important than a simple chuunin exam. 

Crouching over the hunched form of Anko, Sandaime Hokage looked at the dark form of the curse seal that had resurfaced on her neck. It was as dark and strong as the day he'd first seen it. And due to the fact that it wasn't on himself, he was compelled to ask, "Does it still hurt, Anko-san?"

"Much less…" she said honestly. What had once been a heavy throbbing, like she'd been stabbed with a kunai, was now only a minor and easily ignored stinging. "Arigato, Sandaime-sama."

"Here's a question," one of her chuunin underlings said. "What's Orochimaru even doing here?"

"We can assume he's come for Uchiha Sasuke," Sandaime said, speaking the very thing that Anko was about to say. "And it seems fairly obvious to why he would too."

"Sharingan," Anko said quietly as a beeping sound came from a security monitor.

"It's confirmed, Anko-san," Iruka said loudly enough for all in the control room hear. "A sixth team has entered the tower."

Since he had specifically requested from her the permission to be the one to greet Team Seven, Anko knew it had to be Kakashi-sempai's team that had just arrived. This was both a relief and a blessing. It was a blessing because if she was right, they might be able to do something about the curse seal that Orochimaru had most likely placed on the Uchiha.

It was a relief because Iruka had been restlessly pacing the tower since the second day, waiting for the team to arrive. His pacing had quickly worn on her nerves, that is when she took the time to notice it over the curse seal and dealing with Orochimaru.

"Iruka-san," Sandaime said over the intercom. "Bring Sasuke to me."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Iruka said with a respectful bow.

**

* * *

**It had taken him only a half hour to find an unused bedroom, thoroughly shower, and sew the few cuts and tears in his clothing. Then, he was scouting around the tower and found a small training area. Now he was methodically trying to perform his latest jutsu, Kaze Wana. 

Surrounded in the protective haze of his Oboro no Jutsu, Naruto was totally unconcerned of Sasuke or anyone watching him practice. Not that he was really paying attention. This jutsu was just impossible to do with only one-handed seals! It was too easy if you had both hands, but impossible with one. How was that?

He couldn't understand it. His chakra control was better than it had ever been in the past. He could do the Henge, Kawarimi, and Oboro; heck it was easier to do the Kaze Kiwa with one hand. But this jutsu? No way! It was so frustrating!

Knowing that his temper was hindering his control, he stopped another failed attempt. Digging into the bottom of his weapon's pouch, he pulled his most hated enemy; the rubber ball. Normally he would never practice this jutsu when it was almost guaranteed that someone was watching. But he'd seen Sasuke's confused look when he'd seen him with his Sharingan active a few days ago. That could only mean that Kakashi was right, Oboro was a natural shield against the Sharingan's magic as well as any other spies.

Focusing his rage into the ball, he sent as much chakra as he could muster in the ball. This had become a recent habit for him to vent his frustrations with his life, trying to shred the ball.

Gradually he'd come to understand that if he was forcing a very large amount of chakra out of his hands to power the jutsu, his hands would start to sting and burn. Normally he would stop when that started to happen. But now, his frustration was great and the pain was a welcome distraction from it.

This was how he finally tore that rubber ball to pieces.

As the remains of the ball fell from his frozen grasp, he could only stare in surprise. What had just happened? Dropping the Oboro, he also dropped down into an undignified heap to the ground. Replaying the process in his mind, he fought find clues. They came almost too quickly.

When he had finally ignored the pain his hands and let go his restraints, the collected power and force of the chakra had met little resistance from the ball. That would mean that of all the times that he'd stopped from going that extra push, he'd delayed his own mastery of this jutsu!

"Baka!" he growled to himself. Despite feeling happiness at learning this, it was a bittersweet victory for him.

Now that he understood the problem, the more ashamed he became of himself. It had been in front of him this whole time but he just didn't see it. It was like he was no longer needing to act to keep that mask up. It was coming naturally now because it was becoming a part of his personality. Here he was pretending to be stupid and now he was quickly becoming it!

Shoving his self-condemning thoughts aside, he began to contemplate his next step. It now possessed the power he'd always desired it to have. Yet he'd now come across a new problem in the form of dealing with the pain in his hand when he summoned that amount of raw chakra. This was going to require a lot of thought and time. Time that he didn't have.

Besides, now that he'd somewhat vented his frustration he had to return to his practice of Kaze Wana. He had every intention of using it in the next phase of the exam, if it involved fighting.

Surrounding himself with Oboro again, he slowly went through the one-handed seals again. He kept the chakra he used to power it so low that the winds he created were little more than very gentle breezes.

One-handed seals seemed more suited to low level jutsu like Henge or Bunshins. But when you increased the chakra output that the one-handed seals had to focus, the control difficulty increased tenfold. Kaze Wana itself performed rather well when it was underpowered like this. But with the increased chakra that he knew that he'd have to use, one-handed seals were just out of the question.

It was because the winds he was causing were summoned to him, rather than repelled, that he picked up a familiar scent of lilacs. Losing concentration, Naruto stopped and dropped the Oboro as he turned in the direction of the scent's source. There, almost entirely hidden behind a large support beam, stood a blushing Hinata.

Seeing his face looking straight at her, Hinata let out a surprised squeak and ducked behind the pillar and her face turned into a large imitation of a tomato. Naruto-kun had just caught her watching him train! What was he gonna do now? Tell her to leave? No, he was too nice to do that and he wasn't Neji-niisan. Would he ask her to join him? Not a chance, he was too secretive with his jutsus and he wasn't like Kiba-san unfortunately.

"Hinata-chan? What are you doing here?" his voice asked, from only a short distance away.

Glancing behind her, she found herself almost face to face with her crush. He was looking at her with that outrageously cute look of honest confusion. He was looking at her. He was _looking _at her. _He _was looking at _her_!

In true Hyuuga Hinata fashion, she fainted when she realized just how close their faces were. And if she hadn't already been unconscious, she'd have fainted at least another three times for his following actions. He'd instantly leapt forward and caught her from hitting the hard floor. Then he picked her up and carried her gently back to where he knew her room to be. And finally he'd carefully placed her on the futon in her room, not wishing to disturb her.

During the said journey to her room he allowed himself one of the few times to actually smile openly and warmly, no feigned happiness at all. This was multiplied several times over when the girl tried to snuggle closer to him as he carried her. She was kind of cute when she did that…

**

* * *

**"Why aren't you in tower?" Orochimaru asked. Although he said calmly, there was an undertone that was as sharp and deadly as his sword. 

It was the fifth day and the second exam was over. Kabuto found Orochimaru waiting where they'd designated their meeting, and the man wasn't happy. With Orochimaru, unhappy was a surefire way of ending up dead.

"I lost my Ten Scroll," he said honestly. This caught Orochimaru's attention and the serpentine man glanced at his underling, desiring details. "I'd tried to aide Sasuke-kun in finding the Ten Scroll but he and Naruto-kun attacked me."

Smirking at this, Orochimaru couldn't resist stating the obvious. "Surely they were no match for you. You are nearly as strong as Kakashi-san…aren't you?"

"It wasn't them, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto said as he adjusted his glasses. "It was the girl, Sakura-chan."

"Oh?"

"I'd used her as cover and she fought back," he said, purposely glazing over the details. "She replaced my own Ten Scroll with a fake during the fight. I figured that since what you've got planned, it wouldn't matter if I was in the tower or not."

"Hm," Orochimaru couldn't help but think of all the surprises that this individual team seemed to possess. "It's such a shame they aren't Oto-nin."

"Indeed," Kabuto said evenly. "By the way, Orochimaru-sama, have you crafted a new curse seal?"

"Eh?" This new turn of conversation had taken a slightly irritating and curious turn. "Why do you ask?"

"I know that you placed the heaven seal on Sasuke-kun," the medic-nin said. "But I didn't know you were interested in Naruto-kun as well."

_Him again?_ Orochimaru snorted arrogantly before replying. "Naruto-kun maybe interesting, but he is far from being worth my time to put a curse seal on."

"Then we have a problem," Kabuto said as realization hit him like a sledge hammer. "I think he's a--"

"Jinchuurichi." Orochimaru finished for him. Ignoring the silver-haired spy's surprised gaze, he continued, "It changes nothing. Nothing short of a miracle can cause that gaki from ruining my plans."

Bowing slightly to show his submission, Kabuto let out a mumbled, "Hai, Orochimaru-sama."

Well, at least if that blonde was indeed a vessel for a bijuu, it would make things more interesting when the real fight began.

**

* * *

**In the end, it was Team Seven that had been the last team to arrive within the designated time limit. Only six teams of the original twenty-six teams that entered the forest made it to the tower. Despite them having at least a few hours to relax and rest, most of them still had visible signs of their time in the forest; minor scratches and bruises to cut clothing and bleeding wounds. 

It was only now as he stood at the front of his team, lined up the other five teams, that he realized he wasn't as healthy as he thought. The only explanation he had that was probably a highly-likely scenario was that glasses-bastard had stabbed him with a poisoned senbon. The wound itself had healed quickly enough. But the effects of the poison finally seemed to be starting to take affect. Due the fact that he'd never been sick or poisoned before thanks to that kitsune-bastard in his stomach, Naruto had never truly feared the effects of poison.

But this must have been an extremely powerful poison or a very unique kind that the Kyuubi hadn't ever come across before. Either way, he was more than pissed when he realized that he'd hard pressed to fight to his fullest potential if it was fighting exam next. With his eyesight contorting and wavering in and out of focus and his growing lack of balance, he would be in serious trouble if he had to fight someone in the next half hour or more.

While he was silently diagnosing himself of the poison's symptoms, he was paying at least partial attention to Sandaime as he explained the purpose of the forest exam. It was during the sudden appearance of the ever-sickly Hayate Gekko that he gave his full attention to what was being said.

A preliminary tournament of one-on-one fights between each of the gathered chuunin-hopefuls. The winners would go on to the finals and hopefully the official rank of Chuunin.

He was pulled from his calculative thoughts fighting Gaara, the Oto-nin, and maybe even that Lee kid by Sasuke.

"Naruto…" he said quietly. When the blonde glanced back at him questioningly, he continued, "You're one of the ones I want to fight…"

That statement froze Naruto instantly. Sasuke wanted to fight him. That could only mean that he finally saw and accepted him as a decent foe. Sasuke had verbally acknowledged him with that declaration of a desired battle. The Uchiha had literally just told him that he was a rival worthy of his prestige.

Sending the Uchiha a wide, if hesitant, smirk, Naruto returned his attention to the front. Hayate-san was quick to explain the rules and how the fighters were selected. A familiar excitement rose within him at the thought of fighting in front of so many people for the point of coming a little closer to his ultimate goal. So he was quite disappointed when neither of the first two names were his.

Uchiha Sasuke vs. Yamanaka Ino

A smirk grew on Sasuke's face. Right of the bat, eh? He couldn't wait to fight. He could no long use the seal on his neck. But now that he was thinking somewhat rationally again he was glad for it. If that chakra he'd used turned him into violent, mindless killer and he used it on Ino-san, he doubted he would be able to restrain himself from outright killing her in cold blood.

Then there was the problem with his chakra. Ever since Kakashi had sealed away the curse seal, he had been feeling unbelievably weak and tired. His chakra capacity was just barely enough to keep him on his feet and wake. But if he was forced to with Ino, he would have to willingly let the curse seal loose to even stand a chance, despite Kakashi's warnings.

Ino was anything but eager. She was mentally and emotionally torn. She wanted to become a Chuunin very badly, but only a small portion of that desire was stemmed from wanting to upstage Sakura and win Sasuke. Yet she knew that she'd never stand a chance against him in a fair fight.

Her only hope was to use her Shintenshin no Jutsu to have him give up. But she knew that once the fight officially started, he would probably immediately begin to form handseals and fight with all he had. The chance of her successfully capturing him with her Shintenshin was slim to nonexistent. Even with the fact that he seemed unnaturally tired.

Her decision was made before anyone had even taken a single step for the upper gallery.

"I give up!" she called out loudly. All faces were immediately on her, but she ignored them in favor of turning to Sasuke-kun and saying, "I'm no match for you, Sasuke-kun. You'd mop the floor with me!"

Sighing heavily, Hayate had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. _Fan-girls_, he thought, _all the same. Although she is probably right, he is in another league compared to her._

"Fine then," he said between coughs. "Winner: Uchiha Sasuke."

**

* * *

**Sakura was having a very bad day. No, that was putting it lightly; she was having a very bad _week_. The fact that she and the boys had been trapped in a truly competitive and rigorous exam was far from the top of her list of things she liked to do with her time. Now, after a short but humiliating battle, she knew she was in serious danger of losing her life. 

After Shino's surprising victory strategy over that Oto-nin with weird hands, she was called. Her match was against a fierce some looking Suna-nin called Kankuro. Even before she got a good look at him, she was feeling very nervous. Although she'd seemed to hold her own against that Kabuto guy, she felt that he had almost let her win. Now she was facing this shinobi all on her own and she knew that she was trouble.

Then she saw the look on his face. He was confident and eager to battle, but his sneer was what drove her into a fit of shivers. He was quite literally saying that he'd go easy on her for a little bit, toying with her, then just as she thought she could win, he'd attack.

Sakura was very seriously considering withdrawing from the fight. But one cheer from Naruto, and peculiar gaze from Sasuke changed her mind. Even if she couldn't win, she could still put up enough of a fight for her teammates and Sasuke to be proud.

Using a tried and true method of attack, she formed a trio of Bunshins and rushed him after he'd heaved that bandaged package from his back. As she closed in on him, she felt her confidence beginning to rise. Thanks to her perfect chakra control, she was very sure that he couldn't tell the difference between her and the bunshins.

He proved her wrong when he brought a crushing punch down on her. The force of the blow sent her crashing to ground and to lose her focus on the bunshins. As she tried to climb to her feet, he took a half-hearted kick to her ribs. Only to have her burst into smoke and be replaced by log.

Sakura then began a series of Kawarimi to confuse him from when and where she'd attack. In the end, it worked. He looked away to soon, expecting another Kawarimi, only to realize too late that that time it was for real. With one slash of her kunai, Sakura cut deeply through his throat.

It was then as she landed that things took a turn for the worst. 'Kankuro' suddenly attacked her, despite having his throat cut open, and grabbed on to her bodily. Then extra pairs of arms burst from his body and coiled themselves tightly around her. It was then that the bandaged package on the floor a fair ways away unraveled itself to reveal the real Kankuro. Now Sakura was trapped in the arms of the puppet and was slowly getting squeezed to death. It was with a defeated glance up towards Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi that Sakura saw their expressions.

Kakashi, though his posture implied difference and he held his ever-present Icha Icha Paradise volume in hand, had his gazed locked on her struggling form with a slight aura of concern. Naruto was gripping the railing of the balcony tightly, most likely trying to resist the urge to jump down there and help her. Yet at the same time he was yelling encouragement to her, but she could no longer hear him anymore. Sasuke, though mirroring Kakashi with his indifferent posture, was also watching her with concern and something else.

But before she could put a name to that strange look in his eye, she lost consciousness due to lack of blood and oxygen to the brain.

Seeing the pretty girl suddenly slouch in the arms of his puppet, Kankuro sneered. Then he began to tight the puppet's grip, feeling a need to give the girl a bit of extra harm. He didn't release her until he heard Hayate clearing his throat. It took one dangerous glance from the man to have the girl dropped to the ground. He glanced expectantly at Hayate as the sickly jounin approached. A quick examination had Kankuro declared the victor.

As soon as that was announced, Kankuro began to rewrap Karasu as Team Seven leapt down to gather their fallen teammate. A pair of fierce killer intents glared into him but he ignored them in favor finishing his work. There was actually a benefit to having a crazed, bloodthirsty younger brother, nearly any killer intents that he sensed now had no effect on him. Gaara's was just to grand.

"Why did you do that?" the blonde demanded as he carefully picked up the girl. "You could've ended it very quickly from the start. Why did you have to toy with her?"

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked, shooting them both arrogant smirk.

As he was preparing to walk away, he heard a voice that might've made his blood freeze. It was similar to how Gaara always spoke to him when he was in one of his dangerous moods. It promised severe pain and high probability of death, despite being spoken so softly and emotionlessly. Like his younger brother, he just knew that this boy wouldn't hesitate to keep his word. Yet, despite surprising him, it still held no effect.

"You're gonna regret that in the finals," Sasuke said, his Sharingan blazing was the only obvious sign of his controlled rage.

**

* * *

**Man, it is one serious mess here for me. I have to in-process into the company while at the same time have to try to do my job for them. I barely have the time of day to sit down and relax for more than five minutes! 

And because of all this work they're loading on me, I'm having a hard time finding time to get on my laptop (finally got one) and write. I know that these last few sections aren't exactly quality material and I apologize for any mistakes or inconsistencies there are in the text that I've missed.

But if you thought that those fight scenes that aren't crap in this chapter are good, you should wait for the next one. Naruto's fight is truly going to be very different than the manga, I promise you all that!

Next chapter: **An All-New Naruto: Unleashing the Maelstrom**


	16. An All New Naruto

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 16—__An All-New Naruto: Unleashing the Maelstrom_

Temari's battle with Tenten was short and brutal. Ending with the Konoha weapons' specialist stuck at an odd angle on the top of Temari's fan. The fight for her had be pathetically easy and she'd made it out without even a scratch.

Shikamaru was as brilliant as ever. He willingly took a hit from Kin's senbon in order to catch her in his shadow. Then it was a simple gesture to ram her head into the wall while dodging a shuriken.

Naruto, though he'd cheered for Tenten and Shikamaru, watched as the battle progressed and took mental notes. Shikamaru's use of the terrain, even if it was only a wall, was interesting and quite simple since many shinobi lost track of such features in a fight occasionally. Tenten's use of a scroll to summon her countless and multiple weapons was something he'd only heard about. That would most definitely would require some looking into for him for it showed much potential.

However, as much as he enjoyed seeing his friends do their battles, he would've enjoyed it more if he didn't have that poison in his system. He found himself holding onto the railing for support and to not collapse on the floor. It was getting harder and harder to focus on the combatants. Their images were blurring and it was becoming a battle to remain awake.

He was getting desperate. If his battle wasn't soon, he was going to be in serious trouble if these symptoms weren't the worst of what could come. He needed to do his fight fast and furious so he could allow himself the luxury of relaxing. But that resolution to not succumb to the effects of the hallucinogen was starting to wear thin.

The next names on the screen brought much relief and excitement for him.

Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba

"Finally!" he groaned out.

Kiba leapt down to the arena level carelessly, it was going to be a short but easy match for him. Naruto took his time walking down to the arena quietly. Using his slow pace, Naruto began to do light stretches, warming up any muscles that may have contracted.

Once in place, Hayate announced the battle and the contestants but neither boy was listening to him. Kiba was too busy getting fired up with Akamaru. The dog boy's surefire attitude that he could beat Naruto without even breaking a sweat grated heavily on the blonde's nerves. Naruto hated it when people underestimated him.

"Don't be so cocky, dog boy!" Naruto snapped. "I'm far from being the same Naruto from the academy!"

"But you're still a dobe, like always," Kiba said with a beastly smile. Akamaru barked an affirmative to emphasize the point.

Naruto just glared at the blurry image. Crossing his arms with a resigned air, he let out a foxy grin at a spur of the moment challenge in his mind. "Well, I guess I can work with a handicap like that."

As a memory played in his mind about a time in the academy about four years ago, he couldn't help but smirk arrogantly. If this dobe thought that he could handle Kiba with or without Akamaru so easily, well he'd just have to prove that he could thrash his ass either way. There was no way he could've miraculously improved enough since graduation to beat him…right?

* * *

Up on the balcony, Sasuke couldn't help but watch this match closely. Kiba had been one of the best taijutsu and ninjutsu shinobi in the academy, just under himself. If Naruto was truly as skilled as he was really beginning to believe and he really did want to become a Chuunin, then there was zero chance that he'd hold back. 

And if Sasuke was right, Naruto probably had an ace or two up his sleeve to ensure his victory. As ridiculous as that would've sounded to him a few months ago, he found himself believing it wholeheartedly now. Naruto always seemed to have a jutsu ready and able to help him win when it absolutely was necessary.

Glancing over at Sakura's still unconscious form, he couldn't help but think that she'd have wanted to see this battle as well. He didn't try to wake her, despite the strong urge to. It might be better for her to sleep for a while, let the pain dull a little before waking up. She'd probably resent him for not waking her for this though.

Kakashi let out a barely noticeable hum which drew the Uchiha's attention. Kakashi had put his book away and was now watching the approaching fight with an interest that rivaled Sasuke's.

Feeling his gaze on him, Kakashi looked at the other boy under his command and gave a smile smirk of confidence. Though he couldn't see the gesture, Sasuke returned it with a small version of his own. Then Kakashi's gaze grew worried as he stared at the Uchiha.

Feeling the man's shifting focus, he dropped his smirk and said clearly, "After this fight."

Since the fact that Sasuke hadn't outright fainted from having the curse sealed up, Kakashi had allowed Sasuke to remain in the exam long enough to do his own match. It had been rigged, of course, so that he'd have the first one. But the stubborn Uchiha had refused to leave until he'd seen his teammates' battles. Kakashi could only hope that whatever strength that had allowed him to endure this long would last until the end of this fight.

* * *

"Well then," Hayate said as the boys sent glares at one another. "Begin!" 

As soon as those words left his mouth, Kiba dropped down to his knee as he flashed through handseals. In a burst of speed that almost caught Naruto by surprise, Kiba lunged forward and rammed into him with the force of train engine.

"Shikyaku no Jutsu!"

He let the shaggy genin hit him. Judging the power behind the hit and mentally calculating how many he could take, even as he was sent spinning and careening into the wall. That hit was powerful. If he was right, he could easily take several more without feeling to bad for a short while.

He could hear the genin on the balcony muttering amongst themselves. He could hear Ino belittling him. Shikamaru sounded disappointed, and slightly hopeful, in his grumbles. However, the one he was paying attention was Kiba's loud voice telling Hayate that it was already over. Not likely!

Climbing to his feet, Naruto lifted his face and sent a sharp, dangerous glare at him. "Don't underestimate me," he said simply, ignoring the bewildered stares of the genins.

"Yeah!" Lee shouted. "Go, Naruto-kun!"

"So he's finally living up to his boasts," Shikamaru said with a smirk. Now it was going to get interesting.

Huffing arrogantly, Kiba pointed to the trickle of blood that was seeping from Naruto's split lip. "Big talk coming from someone who's bleeding all over the place!" he said with a beastly smile. "Would you surrender already?"

"Surrender, why?" Naruto asked with a foxy grin. "Getting scared of me?"

Kiba almost flinched at the blonde's tone. It was one of pure, unadulterated confidence. But what the blonde said next really stung his pride. "Besides, Sakura hits harder than you do. There is no way you'll be able to beat me like that."

A wave of killing desire followed the enraged the dog boy's statement, "You'll be sorry!"

As Akamaru and Kiba dashed forward, Kiba tossed a pair spheres at Naruto. Purple smoke enveloped him, but not before a smirk crossed his face. Closing his cloudy eyes, Naruto focused on his sense of smell and sound. Though the smoke was slightly hindering, it couldn't disguise the foul stench of Kiba's jacket. The fact that he could only smell Kiba didn't surprise him. It meant that Akamaru was waiting outside the smokescreen in case he tried to run.

Who needs to run?

* * *

Shikamaru let out a groan of disappointment. He hated smokescreens. Yet he knew that Kiba had just made a big mistake. The fact that he knew that one of Naruto's favorite jutsus was the Enmaku only solidified the guess in his mind. 

From inside the smokescreen sounds of Kiba's grunts and shouts of aggravation could only hint at his being unable to land a blow on the boy. Now it was just a matter of time for the smokescreen to lift. When it did, he found that he wasn't too surprised with seeing Kiba surrounded by five Narutos.

"Feel lucky, Kiba," one of the blondes said. "There's been this new killer move I've been dying try out!"

One of the blondes turned and saluted pointedly at Lee with a large foxy grin. This drew numerous glances of surprise and curiosity from the others towards the green genin. Using this distraction, four of the Naruto's dashed forward with a surprising speed. Before Kiba could react, they kicked him into the air while shouting out syllables.

"U-Zu-Ma-Ki!"

Dodging Akamaru's desperate lunge, the last Naruto leapt high into the air and brought his spinning foot down on Kiba's face and driving his face into the arena floor. "Naruto Rendan!"

The four clones disappeared now that their purpose was done. Naruto backed up slightly as he began to pant. Something was wrong with him. He could feel it inside him, originating from where Kabuto had stabbed him. It was starting to hurt, like he'd been stabbed by a kunai. Add to the fact that he could feel a trickle of blood starting to seep from where the wound had closed earlier.

Up on the balcony, everyone stared slightly confused. Lee, in particular, felt conflicting emotions. Naruto had just used a move that was similar to the Omote Renge. He must have thought of it when he saw him battling Sasuke that once and made his own version of it using the basic concepts. In one sense, copying his own jutsu. Yet, he'd gone out of his way to salute him. As if thanking him for the idea.

But being the taijutsu specialist he was, he instantly saw something wrong. That last kick to the ground had been weak. It had been more like he was pushing Kiba to the floor than kicking him. Then as the blonde stood up, he could see him slightly clutching his side with a growing blood smear. _He's injured_, Lee realized. _And it's sapping his strength. How much longer can you fight with that handicap, Naruto-kun?_

"That can't be Naruto," Ino said, feeling slightly awed. She didn't know he could use Kage Bunshin. "He was always such a screw up in the academy. When did he get so good?"

Shikamaru could only smirk with self-satisfaction. He'd been right all this time and it seemed that Ino was actually taking it fairly well so far. But just how smart and how much was Naruto willing to reveal at long last?

"This is the 'baka' who beat you, Kankuro?" Temari asked. "He's not too bad."

"Okay, no more holding back," Kiba growled as he stood up, grasping his face painfully.

"It's about time," Naruto said with a smirk, his mask instinctively jumping up to disguise his growing pain.

With a flick of his thumb, Kiba gave Akamaru a Hyorogan soldier pill and bit into one himself. Naruto studied Akamaru carefully as his fur turned red and he became more menacing in appearance. But what drew Naruto's attention was Akamaru's chakra capacity more than doubled.

_Those things sure are potent on animals,_ he realized as he compared it to Kiba's enhanced chakra. In the amount that the two held separately, Kiba's was greater yet Akamaru's had grown the most in the sheer volume supplied in the small pill.

Kurenai, while surprised by Naruto, felt her confidence in Kiba return. The only time when Kiba used the Hyorogan was when he was planning on going all-out to end a battle fast. As strong as Naruto may have become, he simply couldn't overwhelm Kiba and Akamaru when they were like this.

"Let's go, Akamaru," Kiba growled, crouching down.

Naruto felt a slightly nervous shiver run down his spine as he watched a second Kiba emerge from Akamaru. The pair of feral looking Kibas were glaring at him dangerously. Maybe he had really overstepped his ability level after all.

"Shikyaku no Jutsu!" the Kibas yelled as they lunged forward.

Pumping chakra into his legs, Naruto dodged at the best speed he could muster. Even though he was able to, it was just barely enough to escape. The poison was kicking in again, burning and hindering his ability. As he landed, he could feel it spreading from his side down to his legs. He could feel it surging through his chakra coils.

Naruto wasn't able to be given the chance to analyze the new symptoms as the pair lunged again and again. His chakra control was faltering from the increasing pain so he wasn't able to entirely dodge these. Long gashes and slashes raced across his torso as he fought to stay ahead them.

Finally growing desperate and panicking at another unavoidable lunge, Naruto made the mistake of jumping high in the air to escape. "You're going down!" Kiba yelled. "Gatsuuga!"

_Oh shit,_ was all he was able to think before a pair of spinning drills crashed into him. His jacket was shredded and he was bodily thrown to the side like a rag doll. He was in a world of pain. The pain from the Gatsuuga was considerable, but the majority of the pain came from his side.

Seeing his opponent's downed body, he said, "That's what you get for that ridiculous 'Uzumaki Naruto Rendan.'" He ignored that green-spandex wearing baka as he shouted at Kiba about how 'it wasn't ridiculous but full of youthful fire.' "Examiner-san, call it, he's not going to be getting up any time soon."

"No…" Naruto grunted out. "I'm not…done yet."

As he fought to push himself up, he continued, "I will…become…Hokage…I can't…lose now."

"If you can't beat me," Kiba said with his beastly smile. "then you don't deserve to be a Kage. But maybe I should be, since you're incompetent."

Naruto visibly flinched at that. His body froze for a moment as his brain processed quite thoroughly what the Inuzuka had just said.

Up in the stands, Hinata couldn't help but to contradict her teammate. She'd seen her crush pick himself up time after time when he was knocked down. No one wanted anything to do with the 'demon child' and they isolated him as much as they could. Yet his determination to fulfill his dream never wavered, only was strengthened by their cold glares.

The fact that he'd had the strength of will to do this day after day in the face of such overwhelming opposition had greatly endeared him to her. He had something that she dearly wished she could have, even half of it. Self-confidence in his hidden skills. Hinata had spent many of her days free of training watching him train in the woods, seeing the true extent of his persistence and determination.

Yet even he knew when he needed help; he never hesitated to ask the people he trusted which were very few unfortunately. It was the fact that Hinata knew that he needed a guide to something that he wasn't allowed to learn in the academy that had her purchase that advanced chakra control scroll and leave it for him.

She watched as he suddenly seemed to get his second wind and stood up, not seeming to notice his growing injures. Everyone who hadn't known of the blonde's growing ability stared in surprise, which was almost everyone present.

He didn't speak a word as he slowly reached up and took his jacket off. Casting the torn clothing aside, he reached up again he tugged his headband down over his eyes. Now he really had everyone's attention. The real extent of his injures caught them by surprise. He was bleeding all over his body uncontrollably, despite apparently having bandages wrapped around the wounds, and the black shirt was clinging to him like one of Sasuke's fan girls. Most of them had never seen him without that irritating orange jacket. And now he'd effectively blinded himself.

Lifting his face in Kiba's direction, Naruto finally spoke in a calm, cold as ice voice, "I was having fun when we started…but now you're in serious trouble, Kiba-san. I pity you."

Snorting arrogantly, he said, "Quit trying to act cool, you stubborn bastard!"

Naruto merely dropped into a taijutsu stance.

"Let's go, Akamaru!"

Two charging Gatsuuga rushed Naruto. Pumping chakra through his body, Naruto neatly sidestepped both of them. Whirling around, he cast a pair of shuriken at them as they turned and started again. The shuriken were deflected easily as they rushed forward again.

Dodging left, Naruto missed being hit by Kiba. Then Akamaru's scent rushed at him. Instantly he dropped to the ground, flat as a board, and the spinning supercharged dog sailed harmlessly over him.

As he stood up, he formed the one-handed tori seal as he withdrew another pair of shuriken. Feeling the familiar aura as his Oboro took affect, he grinned and rushed the pair. He threw the shuriken at Akamaru as he formed the one-handed tora seal. Inhaling deeply, he blew out a dense smokescreen.

Confused and slightly caught off guard by this greatly improving Naruto, Kiba closed his eyes and used his sense of smell. The blonde was behind him! Whirling around, he threw a fast kick at the blonde. It was blocked and he heard a fist fast approaching. Using his instincts, Kiba engaged in the most bizarre taijutsu fight he'd ever had. The blonde would use hit-and-run tactics; a kick here, a punch there with a shuriken every so often to spice up the fight.

"Akamaru!" he shouted.

As if on command, the henged dog came dashing in with the Gatsuuga. The spinning winds generated by the Gatsuuga was enough to blow the smokescreen away. As the smoke lessened, Kiba opened his eyes and spotted the blonde a fair distance away from him. On the opposite of Naruto was Akamaru.

Naruto seemed to finally be feeling the pain of his injures. He was clenching his side with one hand and his knees were wobbling in the exertion. The sight of this blonde enigma on his last leg brought the dog boy a much needed confidence boost.

He could win this yet! He wasn't as extensively wounded as Naruto so he just needed to outlast him. Yet at that same time, he could also feel his Hyorogan pill wearing off; Gatsuuga took a lot of chakra after all. But he still had plenty in his reserves for a war of attrition.

Glancing at both his opponents, despite not seeing them, Naruto instantly formulated a new plan. It was risky, but it was the best he had so far. Plus, he'd been wanting to use this jutsu for a while now. But he would need time to gather the necessary amount of chakra and the control to wield it, especially with that blasted poison.

"It's over, Kiba," he said, looking directly at him. "If you try to attack me again, you will lose."

"What are you talking about?" Kiba demanded. "You can barely stand up!"

"Thanks for the stating the obvious," the blonde said with a foxy grin. _Just a little more time… _"But seriously, my next jutsu will end this if you don't back down now."

"Back down?" Kiba snapped, insulted. "To a dobe? Not a chance!"

_There, that's it!_ Smirking, Naruto instantly raised his hands to form the necessary seals.

"Oh no you don't!" Kiba yelled. Even if the blonde wasn't telling the truth, he wasn't going to allow him to finish that jutsu! "Akamaru!"

A pair of Gatsuuga rushed Naruto but he didn't move. Instead, he finished the last seal. Spreading his arms, he began to spin at high speeds, far surpassing what Kiba and Akamaru were spinning at. The spin he was in instantly kicked up a suction-like wind that quickly grew in strength.

"Fuuton: Kaze Wana no Jutsu!"

Up on the balcony, everyone had to either glue themselves to the floor with chakra or hang onto the railing to prevent from being pulled into the cyclone. Hayate, closer to it, had to crouch down and use both his hands and feet with his chakra to not be pulled into it. Even the Hokage and the collected chuunin and jounin weren't spared. Everything not fastened down was being forcefully sucked into the center of the arena. Pulled bodily off the floor by the ridiculously powerful winds, Kiba and Akamaru's Gatsuuga lost their momentum and were pulled spinning harmlessly into the eye of the storm.

As they drew closer, the winds suddenly stopped spinning. The wind stopped almost as quickly as it was summoned. Yet the inertia that Kiba and Akamaru had accumulated couldn't be so easily halted. Instead they continued to fly powerlessly towards Naruto who was slowly spinning to a stop.

Just as they were about to crash into him, Naruto leapt into the air. Thus there was nothing to stop them from crashing into one another. Naruto didn't let them have the chance to fall to the ground. Despite still spinning at high speeds, he was able to grab them both by the backs of their necks. They were hauled forcibly up and into his rotation. The spin, adding to their disorientation, left them utterly with helpless.

Thus there was no resistance to be met when, as they began to descend, Naruto swung them down under himself. He smashed both their faces into the floor, using his spin to grind their faces into the stone blocks and shatter them.

Using them as springboards, he pushed himself off them as his body tried to follow them. Landing in a crouch nearby, he went for a short skid as the spin was finally stopped. He remained in his crouched position for a moment to let his senses get over the rotating hell he'd just put them through. In the back of his mind he was surprised that he was able to land that so perfectly, given how messed up he was with that poison.

Panting and pointedly ignoring his greatly protesting injures, he stood up and faced the unmoving pair. If they got up from that, he was going to be in serious trouble. That must've hurt a hell of a lot!

Walking forward, Hayate crouched down and examined Kiba. Despite having a slightly disfigured face, he was alright but safely unconscious. Akamaru seemed to be in the same state, and his Jujin Bunshin form had finally dropped.

Looking up at Naruto, he gave a small grin at the blonde as he peeked out from under his blindfold. This blonde was something else.

"And the winner is Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Oh YEAH!" was the first cry to erupt from the stunned audience. Unsurprisingly, it came from Lee.

"Awesome!" was all Ino could mutter.Shikamaru just grinned knowingly as Choji stared at Naruto in surprise. "Naruto beat Kiba!"

Sasuke's face was empty, save for a small smirk. Yes, Naruto would most definitely be worth fighting later. He was now really looking forward to their eventual battle.

…_YES! _Hinata silently cheered happily. Then guilt quickly followed. _Gomen, Kiba-kun, you did try you're best though._

A look of surprise passed over Naruto's face a second before he suddenly dropped to his knees and coughed out a large amount of blood. Clenching his screaming side, he could easily feel the blood that had soaked through his shirt.

After a moment of coughing, he suddenly felt immensely better. Whatever kind of poison Kabuto had stabbed him with was finally seeming to lose its effect. Naruto had realized what was causing it take affect quickly, whenever he used chakra it hurt him. But now that he'd used an excessive amount, it seemed that he'd inevitably cured himself.

"Go figure," he grumbled to himself as he climbed back to his feet. After collecting his jacket, he started back for the balcony. "I had to go my whole fight with a handicap. I'm gonna get that glasses-wearing bastard someday for that."

* * *

Hinata was fluttering with indecision. Should she give him the ointment or shouldn't she? In this exam, he was supposed to be considered her enemy. Yet she could never come to think of him like that. 

Plus the fact that he was now starting to move with much greater ease was both heartening and disappointing for the young girl. It meant that he was already feeling better. But that also meant that he probably wouldn't need her ointment after all.

But as he was walking passed her, her resolve steeled and she prepared to do the most direct action of expressing herself to him as she could. Just as she was about to call out to him, the blonde's voice spoke up from behind her.

"Hinata-chan?" he said, earning a surprised squeak from her.

When she turned her badly blushing face towards him, she saw an almost apologetic face on her beloved. He was rubbing the back of neck with his free hand while the other was gingerly cradling his side. He only rubbed his neck when he was feeling embarrassed.

"Hinata-chan," he said, as if trying to collect his thoughts. "Gomen for hurting your teammate, but it…it was him or me."

She stared at him in surprise for a moment. He was apologizing to her for what he had to do to Kiba-kun? As she was puzzling over this, Naruto spotted the ointment that she was carrying. He sent her a raised eyebrow with an almost knowing smirk.

Realizing that he knew what she'd meant to do, she timidly out the jar. "H-Here, Naruto-k-kun."

"Thanks, Hinata-chan," Naruto said with an appreciative smile as he took the jar. "That's very nice of you."

Naruto gave her another smile before walking back towards his team. Hinata was trying to not smile broadly as a happy feeling rose inside her.

Kurenai, having watched the whole encounter, couldn't help but have a small smile on her face. It was almost painfully obvious to her just how much Hinata was in love with him. The fact that he didn't seem to mind, if he even knew, was also quite interesting.

But there was someone else watching, with hateful eyes. Neji narrowed his eyes as he watched his cousin walk towards where the medics were hurrying Kiba away. She hadn't looked at the screen yet so she didn't know that it was her turn now. If he hadn't loathed her for being in the main family, he might've felt pity for her.

Neji didn't notice that his glare had attracted a certain blonde's attention. It was very subtle, a testament to Neji's control, but Naruto had been able to sense a killer intent directed towards Hinata. When he saw that it was her cousin, who he barely knew, it struck him as strange that he'd do that. Especially since he was almost positive that Hinata hadn't done anything to warrant that hate that was shining in his eyes.

An eerie feeling of something very bad about to happen descended on Naruto. To make matters worse, he had the feeling that he wouldn't be able to stop whatever was about to happen.

* * *

As much as I love hearing about how much you guys love this story, can you do something for me? Stop telling me it's great so much. Instead, how about telling me what's so great about it so I know what I'm doing right. And please, PLEASE tell me what I'm doing wrong. This is for your own benefits! 


	17. Preliminaries End, Training Begins

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 17—Preliminaries End, Training Begins_

"Yes she can!" Naruto yelled out as loud as he could. Though his fight ended not too long ago, he was still having a slight trouble breathing.

All eyes turned towards the loud blonde as he continued his rant, totally ignoring them. He was focused solely on the two Hyuuga down in the arena. Hinata was looking up at him with a shocked, almost terrified, gaze at the sheer amount of anger in his voice. Neji merely glanced disgustedly over his shoulder; that blonde was becoming very irritating.

Even Sakura was taken by surprise. She'd woken up shortly after he'd returned to Team Seven. Sasuke was taken away by Kakashi who claimed that he needed medical attention for injures he'd received.

Sakura had been extremely disappointed in Sasuke for not waking her, just like he'd guessed. She'd only heard a few vague details from Ino and an exuberant Lee who'd challenged Naruto on the spot. He'd used some new fuuton jutsu that had completely wiped out Kiba and Akamaru. Yet from the injures she could see through his torn jacket, she knew that it hadn't been an easy fight either.

She, with everyone else, was brought back to reality when Hayate called down the next contestants: Hinata and Neji. Though she resented Neji for trying to break Hinata's confidence before the fight even began, it wasn't her place to intercede since the fight wasn't hers.

Apparently Naruto didn't think the same way.

"Not all strength is visible to the eye!" he snapped hotly, radiating a barely controlled killer intent. This statement brought several raised eyebrows. What the blonde had just said almost sounded hypocritiical to his own life and abilities, based on what they'd just seen.

"Come on, Hinata-chan!" he called out. "Show him what you really can do!"

Hinata could only stare in surprise. Naruto was cheering for her. He may not have known that Neji far surpassed her in ability but he still had faith in her abilities. He believed that she could win. It was at that moment that it happened; a new Hyuuga Hinata was born.

Lifting her face to stare at her cousin with determination that seemed alien to her, she silently thanked her crush. She would fight to prove that he was right. He was right to believe in her. While she may not be at Neji's level, she was still a Hyuuga and the heir.

Neji instantly noticed the changed expression in her gaze. It wasn't one of the panicked fear that he'd been arousing during his speech. It was one of resolution; she wanted to fight. She wanted to prove something, no doubt to that blonde enigma.

"So you're not going to withdraw?" he asked, seemingly indifferent. "Then I won't be responsible for what happens here."

He watched as the veins around her eyes began to show. Her Byakugan was activating, she was preparing herself instinctively for all-out battle. He could see her chakra began to rise, ready for a second's use. He watched all this with a disgusted grimace. She actually believed that she could give him a fight.

This would be boring.

* * *

The fight was intense, if one-sided. It was clear to him that despite Hinata's excellent form and her own natural flexibility, she was no match to Neji who was faster and stronger in both chakra capacity and physical strength. Yet her determination never wavered as she kept on the battle. 

The only times Naruto took his eyes off the fight were to glance back at Kakashi when he suddenly reappeared behind them and when Sakura and Lee were the discussing the abilities of the Hyuuga Jyuuken.

When Neji finally revealed something that Naruto had some experience in, he knew the fight truly had been one-sided. He'd closed some of the tenketsu on Hinata's arms. Since Naruto had once had the Hakke Rokujuuyon Sho done to him several months ago, he knew what had happened to her. She could no longer use chakra in her arms or hands effectively anymore.

_This is bad, he realized. Without her chakra, she can't do the Jyuuken. And she doesn't know any other taijutsu style!_

It also seemed that her tenketsu weren't her only problem. She was suffering from the internal attacks that Neji threw at her. Though he didn't know very much about organs or the internal workings of the human body beyond the best places to kill a person, he noticed that many of the chakra shots on her had been precisely aimed. He was up to something.

"Gomen, Lee-san," Naruto said to the bowl-haired genin. He continued when he felt the boy's surprised gaze on him. "But I think you're going to be short a teammate when this exam is over."

Lee stared at Naruto for a moment. The fact that he could tell the blonde was dead serious slightly surprised him. Naruto was getting very angry, quite understandably actually, but this statement made it seem much more threatening. A deep frown crossed Lee's face as he forced his attention back on the fight. He'd have to watch over Naruto in case he did something rash.

The blows finally climaxed with a powerful hit to her chest and heart. Naruto mentally flinched, imagining the pain that she was going through. It came as little surprise that her strength failed and sent her to the floor.

As Gai was explaining about Neji's masterstroke to her heart, Naruto saw something that made him gain a whole new level of respect for his first friend. Hinata was very slowly trying to rise up. Her determination to stand up and give all she had left to fight sent awe-inspiring strength through her limbs. No one had seen this yet though.

"Don't stop it!" he yelled down at Hayate who was about to end the match. Even if she could no longer fight or barely even stand, he felt that she at least desired this moment to be acknowledged that she could still become better. "Look at her!"

And look at her they did.

Naruto couldn't help but have a small smile grow on his face as Hinata was able to pull herself back up. She was clutching her side in a similar fashion he had been, which sent a phantom pain through him. Blood was dripping from her mouth down onto her jacket and the arena floor. Yet she was still standing as proudly as she could manage.

* * *

Dropping to her hands and knees, Hinata coughed out hard as blood rose up inside her lungs. She didn't even notice Kurenai-sensei rushing to her. But as her coughing fit temporarily subsided, she found herself on her back staring up at Naruto's extremely worried eyes as his face came into view. With a fast fading vision and consciousness, she weakly asked herself, _Did I change…just a little bit?_

Naruto stared at the now blissfully unconscious girl. If ever there was a time that Naruto believed he was worthless, it was then. He stared at her as she was taken away into unconsciousness and by the medics who rushed to the scene. He knew next to nothing about healing injures and it was tearing him up that all he could do was watch as his friend was taken away.

Yanked from his thoughts by a voice he'd come to resent, he glared at Neji as he spoke. "Hey, Uzumaki, a few words of advice."

Facing the arrogant Hyuuga, he quietly waited for the boy to continue. "A real shinobi warrior wouldn't degrade himself to making a spectacle of himself by cheering in a serious match, and one more thing…A failure is always a failure, accept who you are."

The fact that he said with an air of conceited seriousness and calmness, like reading a text from a scroll, finally broke any willpower that was preventing him from acting out of his presumed character. A killer intent flared from Naruto as he stood up over where Hinata's prone body had been. His blue eyes, usually bright and shining, were cold as ice. The glare resembled a hail of countless kunai and shuriken, all centered on Neji.

Everyone was silent as they watched the showdown, prepared to step in and stop a fight if one broke out.

"Tell me, bastard," he said almost indifferently. "How is it with those 'all-seeing' eyes you are so blind?"

Neji didn't seem to notice the pick at his ability as he wore small grin confidently. This blonde was very irritating, and it was time to show him where his place was in the world. He'd been born a loser and lived as a dobe, thus he'd never be anything more than that. That was what he firmly believed. Any insults this baka shot at him were as worthless as he was.

Receiving no response from the Hyuuga, Naruto looked down to the ground at his feet. He was standing over a fairly large pool of Hinata's blood. With an almostindifferent gaze, he watched as several drops of his own blood fell from his hand and clothes into the pool. It struck him as symbolic to a degree. They'd both worked hard to attain respect and both of them had to shed blood for it.

Yet where he could bounce back, she couldn't. Well, he'd just have to help her to do that.

Kneeling down, he smeared their bloods onto his hand. Rising up, he merely held up his hand towards the boy to display the large smear of blood on his palm and fingers. Neji watched this indifferently, it was sadly obvious what this was going to become in the future.

Raising his gaze, Naruto shot the most powerful killer intent Neji and probably several of the other genins had ever come across. It was so powerful that it almost seemed as though he'd taken on an unearthly red glow as he spoke out clearly, "Be warned, Neji-_san_, I will not hold back." _Like I did until now…_

* * *

If ever he thought of someone as demon in metaphorical terms, the two boys down on the arena floor right now had just earned those titles with flying colors. Sure Haku and Zabuza were close contenders for that title, but they'd been beaten in the end. Even Kabuto-teme was within qualification range but he'd let Sakura take his scroll so Naruto still had to reserve his opinion for him. 

While he knew that Lee was ungodly fast, the fact that he was wearing undoubtedly heavy weights the entire time only increased his amazement of the boy. He was a taijutsu specialist by necessity and he'd seemed to have excelled at it beyond what even Naruto thought he could do.

Naruto had been excited, or would've been had his mood not been dampened,to finally see what Gaara could do. No matter what jutsu style he'd thought he'd use, sand was probably the farthest from it. But that could've been because the lack of it in Konoha and the majority of it in Suna. It was also disheartening to learn from Kankuro that Gaara didn't need to voluntarily use it for it to work. He didn't have to scarcely move a muscle during the beginning of the match!

As fight progressed, Naruto found himself paying more attention to the attacks that he could barely see Lee do. Working as fast as his mind could, he tried follow the motions of Lee as best he could. A fight filled with such rich taijutsu was just too good to pass up without at least trying to learn something from it. But upon seeing Lee's skills, he realized how badly prepared he was in that domain.

He paid special attention when he suddenly sensed a drastic explosion in chakra potential coming from Lee. The following moves were beyond powerful, kicking up debris and shattering the floor. Naruto was positive that if it hadn't been for Gaara's Suna no Yoroi, he'd have been severely injured, if not killed, after that first blow.

It was as he was watching Lee smack the Suna-nin through the air that he had a sudden vision. A light bulb lit in his head as he saw the moves Lee was doing. As he studied the boy's body movements, his mind was engulfed in a new attack strategy possibility. But he forcefully shoved those thoughts aside in favor of seeing the rest of the match.

Though he would have to thank Lee again it would seem.

But all those incredible attacks were clearly a double-edged sword he realized as he saw Lee slow down unbelievably and end up getting partially captured in the sand. The sound of his bones getting crushed by the unyielding force of the sand was only overrode by the green genin's screams of pain before slipping unconscious.

After Lee was saved and swiftly taken away to the hospital, the final match began and ended in earnest. It was very anticlimactic compared to the three prior matches.

It was when Sandaime was explaining the purpose of the third exam and a month of resting and training for them, Naruto realized that it wouldn't be enough. If they only gave him a month to train, develop new jutsus and create new strategies, he'd barely have enough time to sleep at night! This was going to be an extremely busy month.

Especially since his first match would be against the very person he wanted to crush at the moment. Neji.

* * *

It was later that evening that found him in the forest again. He was sitting facing a tree with a distinctive spiral pattern cut into its trunk. Resting on the ground beside him was a water balloon and a rubber ball. Carefully reviewing all he'd learned of the jutsu, he studied the tree. 

Once they'd been released, Naruto rushed straight home to bathe and get a fresh pair of clothes. Then with nearly twenty bowls of ramen inside him, he collected a few odds and ends before leaving. If they had a month to train, then he was going to get started right away.

The spiral pattern was considerably larger than the ones he put into the trees in Wave Country. But there still a problem with it. He'd only realized it when he was delivering the jutsu into the tree. Too much of the chakra was bleeding off the jutsu before he could use it. No matter how hard he tried to keep the chakra spinning at high speeds and focused into a tight ball, it still bled off.

Picking up the water balloon, he looked down at it expectantly. The key to this stage was learning to spin the chakra. Once that had been achieved, the balloon was easily destroyed due to the expanding force and the high speeds. As he lifted up the ball, he glared at his still formidable adversary. This stage required power to shred the ball, focusing heavily on increasing the rotation of the chakra as well as the amount used.

But how could he manage to keep it in shape long enough, and at full power, to deliver it?

The elusive answer to this question was starting to annoy him. He just couldn't find it. So, falling back on his new habit, he vented his anger on the ball. This rubber ball was slightly thicker, so he had to focus much more and much harder before it blew apart.

The sudden absence of the ball had him shifting his attention the balloon. At this point in his mastering of this strange yet most likely deadly jutsu, to pop the balloon would be pathetically easy and a waste of time.

Yet it was as he was staring down at it that he realized something that he hadn't before. Balloons held water, but when punctured the water escaped. His jutsu was similar to this. It was as though he was trying to throw a water balloon with large holes at his enemy. He might be able to get them wet, but at a considerably less amount that what he wanted.

It was that balloons had casing that _held the water together_. That would mean that he'd need to compress the chakra winds around his jutsu to keep it together! And if it could stay together, then that could only mean that it wouldn't lose its power.

Now how could he go about finding something to test this theory on?

Looking back at the balloon, he smiled. The water would no longer be needed. In fact, with what he had in mind, it would only get in the way. Quickly draining the fluid and replacing it with air, he carefully started the jutsu.

The chakra began to spin inside. He could feel it. Taking careful steps to hold it as tightly compacted as possible, he began adding the power required. But the increased power began to pound on the balloon like Lee had Gaara's sand. It was slipping, weakening.

_No! Hold it,_ he strained_. Hold it, hold it!_

But he couldn't; it burst in his face and the sharpened chakra winds slashed at his face. Wincing reflexively, he gently cradled the wounds. Panting slightly from the exertion it put on him, he reviewed what had just happened.

This seemed to be much harder than he'd thought it could be. Yet it seemed worth it, as his suddenly healed wounds proved. The encased chakra had been handle to spin at their high speeds and with the sudden burst of the shell and balloon, the power of the chakra had been enough to give him some large cuts.

This would require much practice.

* * *

Since he was determined to keep his jutsu secret until the Finals, he blatantly refused to train with it during the day. Instead, he spent that time in the Konoha Shinobi Library. He was researching the Jyuuken and other possible jutsus that had similar effect. 

But unfortunately the secrets of the Hyuuga taijutsu were not in any scroll or book he could find inside the building. It actually irritated him that the Hyuuga could be so protective of their jutsus that they wouldn't allow it to be put into writing outside their compound. While he had a brief overview of its capabilities from Lee and Kakashi during Hinata's fight, there were still a lot of questions he had on it.

The only jutsu that he could find that even came close to it was the Chakra Scalpels. But they were a medical jutsu that needed careful control, more than he had. But that didn't stop him from reading up on them. They used chakra to form serrated edges across the hands to enter a person's flesh and cut muscle tissue and puncture organs without cutting the skin. It sounded slightly what he wanted, but it didn't mention anything about closing the tenketsu.

Just as he was about to willingly throw a fit for this colossal waste of his precious time, a familiar voice spoke up. "Uzumaki-san? What are you doing here?"

Turning to face the voice, he found himself face to face with Ebisu-sensei. The man looked much the same as before save for several scrolls that were tucked under his arm.

"Hey, Ero-sensei," he said brightly, this man was a lucky find. "I was just researching the Jyuuken."

Despite feeling extremely irritated at Naruto's continued use of his nickname for the man, Ebisu smirked. "Not a chance, Naruto. The Hyuuga clan doesn't allow any of their jutsus to leave their compound on paper."

"So I noticed," the boy grumbled as he turned back to the scroll. This jutsu, though probably very difficult for him, could some day be very useful for him. He'd have to borrow it for a little while.

"I don't know if you're aware of this, Naruto," Ebisu said. "But Kakashi-san was looking for a sensei for you and I volunteered…"

"Really?" he piped up, instantly interested. This man had inadvertently inspired some of his most useful and newest jutsus after all. What else could he learn from him?

Studying the boy carefully, Ebisu considered this. He honestly wanted to train Konohamaru, the boy was really starting to show some progress at long last. But he owed a favor to Kakashi and Naruto was surprisingly easy to train. With this thought in mind, he immediately came up with bait that he knew would be too tempting for the boy to decline.

"Have you heard of the jutsu: Suiryuudan?" he asked, feigning innocence. The boy looked up at him again with a slightly calculative look. "If you're interested, I'd be happy to teach you that jutsu."

"Are you baiting me?" Naruto asked bluntly after a moment. "Well, it's working."

Just like that, Naruto leapt from the chair he was sitting in and dragged Ebisu outside and towards nearest water source which was, unfortunately, the hot springs.

Naruto instantly took off his sandals and jacket as Ebisu was beginning his lecture on how to manipulate water into a tangible form. But it was as Naruto was just starting to pay attention that a wad of white hair caught his attention. A man, probably quite old from the color of his hair, was crouching in front of the very same knothole that Naruto had discovered.

Seeing that his pupil was distracted by something, Ebisu followed his line of sight. Hm, another pervert. As much as he wanted to continue with his lecture and leave the man to his own devices, he still had to convince this blonde that he himself wasn't a pervert, which he was. Plus the fact that he quite actively denounced peeping, he also had a reputation to uphold. And since he still had a whole month to teach this to Naruto, the jutsu could wait for a few moments.

"I don't know who you are or where you're from, but…" he started as he smartly readjusted his sunglasses. Then he rushed the man, planning to use his shinobi speed to overwhelm him. "I will not permit any disreputable behavior!"

Naruto was caught by surprise as a monstrous frog appeared in a burst of smoke under the man. With a mere flick of its tongue, the frog knocked ero-sensei senseless as he suddenly seemed to become rooted on the spot in surprise and fear.

* * *

It had been a very fruitful morning for the most well-known of all perverts. And he was quite happily pushing his luck with peeping in the hot springs when he came across the strangest person he'd encountered for several years. 

After that pest had ruined his running lucky-streak, he'd quickly knocked him out for several hours. Then when he tried to return to his peeping he was sadly disappointed to find that the last of the women had left while he was distracted. It was then that the blonde kid that was standing by the edge of the pool seemed to realize had just happened to his sensei.

As Jiraiya was trying to decide his next place to haunt for inspiration and research of his latest novel, he felt a polite tap on his shoulder. Turning an annoyed grimace, he found it was the blonde kid, looking up at him with strangely empty eyes.

"What do you want, gaki?" he demanded, hoping to scare the kid off with his harsh tone. But it had no apparent effect as the boy merely tilted his head to the side, as if rethinking how he was going to word his question.

After a moment, the brat finally said, "Why did you knock out my sensei?"

"He was interfering with some vital research," Jiraiya replied honestly. He had nothing better to do so he could spend some time humoring this child.

"Research?"

"Yeah," he said, digging inside his robes. "For a very important book, this one's sequel." He accented the last phrase with pulling out an orange book.

Quirking an eyebrow at the book, the boy couldn't help but to flinch slightly. The books that Kakashi-sensei reads, for this he took out Ero-sensei? He found himself instinctively sizing him up. But Jiraiya chose to ignore that in favor of realizing that the brat seemed to recognized his novel.

"You've read it before?" he asked, slightly surprised. "These things must be more popular among children than I thought they were."

"Of course I recognize it," the boy said quietly. "My other sensei reads that pile of shit everyday."

Frowning deeply at the blonde's accusing voice, he put the book away. The blonde had just gotten onto his bad side. Why was he wasting his time with the gaki when he had more important things to do?

"So let me get this straight," the boy said after a moment. "You knocked ero-sensei out cold and interrupted my training so you could continue to write that trash?"

Pausing to consider what the blonde was implying, he sent him a devious and self-satisfied smirk as he answered. "I guess so, gaki." Turning, he made to leave as he continued, "Don't hate me too much."

"Wait," the boy said. "Just one more question."

Looking back at the blonde, he waited impatiently for the question. This kid was getting quite annoying. Why was he even giving him the time of day? "What?"

The boy's empty blue eyes suddenly filled with anger as they narrowed on him.

"You just attacked a Konoha shinobi, so…" as he was speaking he was forming a handseal. "Which limb do you want removed?" the boy demanded as two Kage Bunshin made their appearance.

At first Jiraiya quirked an eyebrow at the blonde's threat and the jounin jutsu he had just displayed but afterwards he dismissed it as not a threat to be concerned with and turned his back to the orange clad boy. Taking advantage of this moment of ignorance from the pervert Naruto launched a hail of shuriken at him.

With a grace Naruto didn't thought possible the white haired man turned around and caught them all in his big hands looking at the boy with a questioning look. But Naruto didn't hesitate. Realizing that the shuriken wouldn't seriously harm the pervert, his Kage Bunshins were already rushing him with kunai in hands. Just as he expected they were defeated while the pervert was stifling a yawn, openly mocking him! _That arrogant bastard! I'll show him!_

"You shouldn't take your eyes of me!" Naruto yelled at him while racing through four handseals.

Jiraiya's eyebrow rose a fraction as he watched chakra and wind begin racing around his hand and forearm. _What a peculiar jutsu_, he thought. _But, what's it do?_ Seeing the blonde sprinting at him, he instantly decided against finding out.

Naruto, meantime, was preparing to separate his limbs from his body with the Kaze Kiwa. But faster than the boy could follow, the pervert punched him in the gut throwing him in the nearby hot spring.

At first Jiraiya expected the boy to bounce back and rush him, but there was no movement so he got a little worried and started to head towards the spring at a slow pace. But then a different thought rose up. _Let him boil a bit_, he decided. _He deserves it for ruining such a fine day's worth of research!_

It was then that he felt it, a huge amount of chakra being molded and a strange whirlpool forming on the surface of the water. Jiraiya had only a moment to connect the two before a drenched Naruto leapt out of the spring with a Rasengan in hand, aimed right at him.

Jiraiya just blinked. Then blinked again. Unconditional surprise for this boy suddenly holding a premature form of his and his prized student's most powerful jutsu held him anchored to the spot for a moment. The boy didn't seem to care that he was distracted. Instead, he suddenly tried to rush forward, holding the sphere in front of him.

It was his sudden movement that snapped Jiraiya out of his daze. Raising one hand, he lightly jabbed the boy in his forehead. Well, lightly for him. The blow sent the boy flying backwards into the hot pool behind him. Focusing on the effects the jutsu had on the water, he saw it throw up a large splash all on its own

_What the hell is this?_ He silently ranted. _This gaki knows the Rasengan, or part of it. How? Only that Hatake brat and I'm left who actually know it. Yondaime didn't teach anyone else that jutsu that I know of. And I doubt that Kakashi-san would teach it to him. How does this brat know it?_

When the kid rose to the surface, he quickly made his way out of the hot water. Climbing out of the scorching water, he panted slightly before examining his stinging palm. Was that a chakra burn?

Glaring up at Jiraiya, the kid's killer intent was considerable even compared to some he'd encountered before in his life.

"Gaki, you know I'm a Konoha nin too," he said to the boy, trying to bring his mind back to the present.

"You're strong," the boy mumbled, suddenly feeling humiliated and dropping his killer intent "For a pervert, anyway."

"What!" Jiraiya snapped, feeling insulted. "I'm no pervert! I'm a 'Super Pervert'!"

"No," Naruto said, interrupting the man's beloved introduction speech. "You're an idiot."

Pointedly ignoring the man's ranting, he gathered up his discarded clothes and turned to check on Ebisu. After confirming that his temporary sensei was just knocked out, he decided to leave. No sense in staying here if Ebisu-sensei was unconscious and there was this crazily strong pervert here too.

Besides, this fight showed him that he still had a lot to learn. It was too bad that the white haired pervert was a Konoha nin too; this way he had nothing he could do against him. And to top that he realized that he forgotten to active his Oboro, no wonder he was hit so easily.

"That was an impressive jutsu, boy," the man said as Naruto was pulling on his jacket. "Where'd you learn it?"

Maybe it was his imagination, but that last part sounded more like a demand than a request. Well there was no chance in hell that he was going to tell him!

"From your mother," he mumbled, pulling on his sandals.

Jiraiya's eyebrow twitched. That and an ugly grimace was the only show of his disapproval at not being answered honestly.

"Who are you?" he asked. Maybe he could learn who taught him that jutsu if he knew his name.

"You don't know?" Naruto asked. He glanced back at the man before a large foxy grin. The grin sent a sudden memory flash through Jiraiya, it was as if he was reliving a moment of his past all of a sudden. "I'm the greatest prankster of Konohagakure's history: Uzumaki Naruto!"

_The Kyuubi kid,_ he realized Now that he stopped and actually took a good look at him, Jiraiya couldn't help but notice numerous similarities between this blonde and another he'd taught many years ago. _I guess it would make some sense to find this boy being able to do the Rasengan. But how did he learn it!_

Adjusting his jacket slightly, Naruto turned and started walking away. "Now leave me alone, teme," he said. "Now I gotta have a good talk with ojisan."

And just like that, Naruto left. Jiraiya blinked owlishly for a moment. If he wasn't mistaken, that brat was purposely evading answering his questions concerning the Rasengan. Could it be that he'd been taught it by someone who'd learnt it from Yondaime but who he'd neglected to tell Jiraiya?

As far as he could tell, all of Yondaime's jutsu scrolls had been confiscated by Sandaime after his death. So there was no way he could've learned it from there, unless he'd somehow found a way to bypass the multiple seals that ensured the scrolls protection. But that was highly doubtful, especially since the seals themselves had been designed by Yondaime!

But…

"This jutsu was in no scroll…" he mumbled to himself. "Then, how?"

Grumbling to himself, he realized that that brat had just effectively ruined the rest of his day. He couldn't finish his research until he learned where this kid learned the Rasengan.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Just let me say this: you guys have truly surprised me the sheer amount of reviews and details you included in your reviews. Thanks everyone. I think I got the overall idea of what you want to continue and what needs fixing. Although, I'm almost sad you took me so seriously. I mean, all of what you said could give a person a very big head (which I don't want). But thanks anyway, they were major confidence boosters! But with that being said, I'm sorry that this is a reasonably short chapter. I guess I was just in a hurry to finish this portion of the story so I could write the next, which I am REALLY looking forward to (hint hint).

Since some of you expressed having some trouble remembering my new jutsus for Naruto compared to the numerous other fanfics: here's a list of his current (and my original) jutsus.

My New Jutsus

**Enmaku no Jutsu**--_Smokescreen_/ An incomplete katon jutsu that surrounds the immediate area around the user with a dense cloud of smoke. This jutsu is used mainly for escaping enemies or for guerrilla fighting tactics, which depends heavily on keen senses of smell and hearing. This jutsu, however, will dissipate gradually over time as the smoke clears or with even the gentlest breeze.

**Fuuton: Kaze Kiwa no Jutsu**--_Air Release: Wind Edge_/ A concentration of spinning chakra and wind around the person's arm. The speed of the spinning chakra winds added to the amount of chakra used gives it its blade-like capabilities. The Kaze Kiwa depends heavily on an excessive amount of chakra to keep active and 'sharp' else the jutsu is severely weakened. However,this jutsu has yet to be defeated.

**Fuuton: Kaze Tate no Jutsu**--_Air Release: Wind Shield_/ This jutsu creates a small tornado like wind around the user. In general this jutsu is only able to deflect the average kunai and shuriken and has several other minor uses. But the true power of this defensive jutsu lies in the amount of chakra used in it, the more chakra used means the stronger the shielding action will become. There is no real definite answer as to just how powerful this jutsu could become, but it could most definitely blow away an entire army if used correctly.

**Fuuton: Kaze Wana no Jutsu**--_Air Release: Wind Trap_/ The exact opposite of the Kaze Tate (Wind Shield). It sucks objects into its vortex, centered around the person who activated it. The spinning motion of the user increases the suction power surprisingly. The only weak point of the jutsu is from the top or bottom of user's spinning body, the eye of the storm. A quick-thinking shinobi could counterattack once inside this vortex. If used correctly, it can disorient an opponent and leave them open to a secondary attack if the jutsu is released before reaching the center. Also, if the user is skilled enough he/she can use the person's approaching body as a punching bag with little fear of retaliation.

**Oboro no Jutsu**--_Hazy_/ A cloud of chakra that surrounds the user and blurs his image to everyone who looks at him, even if they're directly in front of him. This jutsu can be used for multiple things; escape, espionage, fighting, and (Naruto's original purpose) pranking. It is reliant on the user's ability to expel large amounts of chakra from nearly all their tenketsu points for an indefinite period. This jutsu is more suitable to shinobi around the jounin level, who have developed large chakra reserves. This jutsu is yet to be defeated.


	18. Kuchiyose, Suiryuudan, and

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 18—Kuchiyose, Suiryuudan, and…_

The brat was sure busy. That he had to grudgingly admit, and respect his drive. After a short discussion with the Hokage with different subjects to train in, he jumped headfirst into it. Naruto always had to have something to research or practice in the whole three days he spent observing the boy. If it wasn't hurriedly reading over scrolls, it was exercising his chakra control and numerous jutsus or just working on his taijutsu with Kage Bunshins.

He was surprised to note that several of the jutsus the kid was using he didn't recognize or know of. The ones that really caught his interest were a weird jutsu that had his image become blurry and that fuuton jutsu with the winds racing around his arm. Maybe he should try to persuade the kid into teaching them to him. But if he was anything like his look-alike, then that was going to be a very _long _argument. Then again, this kid seemed much more resilient and withdrawn than the Yondaime had been.

Jiraiya had also been surprised to realize just how acute his senses of smell, hearing, and chakra detection were. He'd just barely escaped notice when the wind changed direction during the first day. If he hadn't seen the boy's head start to turn in his direction, Jiraiya's secret surveillance of Naruto would've been ruined for sure. Yet it seemed that the boy had still been able to catch his scent. It must've put him on guard, for he was very careful to check his surroundings quite thoroughly afterwards; most especially when he went into the forest to train in the evenings.

Now, at long last, he watched the boy practice the jutsu he'd been wanting to see. Hidden a far distance away, he watched as best he could. It was the dead of night, probably close to two o'clock. The boy pulled out a scroll and summoned out a number of balloons.

He couldn't help but to study the boy as he fought to control the massive amount of chakra he was wielding. Jiraiya was actually slightly surprised. The boy had very good control, especially considering the amount he was using. Yet it was because he was using more than was truly needed that he couldn't control it very well. But he was close, Jiraiya could tell. At this rate, very soon this boy would have this jutsu mastered!

After the tenth balloon was destroyed, he decided that that was enough silent observation. Walking out of the heavy genjutsu he'd cast, Jiraiya approached the boy as silently as he could. This would be a rather a good time to test just how aware he was of his surroundings.

When he was within throwing distance, Naruto suddenly snapped around and cast a pair of shuriken at him. He caught the weapons easily on his fingers, not even slowing his approach.

"You know," he said, watching the boy carefully. "it is rather rude and just plain dumb to attack someone without knowing who you're attacking."

"Oh, it's just you," Naruto said, a scowl showing on his face and as Jiraiya noticed that his hand was still near his weapon pouch. "What do you want? To interrupt my training again?"

"Heh, no gaki," he said, trying to not smile at the irony behind that statement. "Just a few questions for you. If you answer them truthfully, and I will know, then I may have a surprise for you."

The boy studied him very closely, it was kind of unsettling. "The only thing you could possibly have that I'd want, pervert, is either an extremely useful jutsu or to never have you shadowing me for days on end."

That caught Jiraiya by surprise. He knew the whole time? This boy was much better than he'd originally thought! Almost as good as than Arashi had been at this age, if not better. Well, he'd just have to wait and see. After all, high chakra potency and kinjutsus didn't make a shinobi into a skilled shinobi. "What?" he stammered, looking very indignant. "How did you know that?"

Chuckling evilly, Naruto finally took his hand away from his pouch, deeming this pervert no immediate threat. Rubbing the underside of his nose in an arrogant fashion, he answered, "I didn't…but I did catch that disgusting scent of yours two days ago."

Now Jiraiya was torn between heaven and hell. The boy hadn't known for sure that he'd been watching him this whole time. Yet, he did know that he'd been watching him if only for a short time. When Jiraiya finally appeared, the boy had taken a gamble and Jiraiya fell right into his trap. _How embarrassing for a Sannin_…he kept repeating in his mind.

Quickly recollecting himself, he waved his hand to side as if to shake off the boy's earlier accusation. "Oh don't worry," he said, "I'll teach you something very useful--"

"If it's perverted," the boy interrupted. "you'll regret it."

"Whatever," he said, dismissively. _Yup, same attitude as well_. "What do you call that jutsu you're practicing just now? It's pretty interesting."

Naruto's mouth opened to answer, then he stopped. Closing his mouth, he cocked his head to the side and brought up a hand to rub to his jaw. With thoughtful humming, he gazed unseeingly into the distance.

This struck Jiraiya as strange. It was like the boy didn't even realize what he was learning from whoever his mystery teacher was. Then again, maybe that shinobi knew the significance of having Naruto know what the jutsu was could have on his confidence; it would undoubtedly soar into the heavens.

"You know," he said absentmindedly, now rubbing the back of his head and allowing a large foxy grin on his face. "That's a good question. I haven't even stopped to think of one."

Now it struck him as strange that the boy would react that way. It was almost as though he were taking the credit of the jutsu, being given the privilege to name it. That was pretty arrogant, if that was what he was intending to do.

"How'd you learn to do that?" Jiraiya pressed, while considering what the boy had just said. "Not many shinobi can use that amount of chakra without handseals, you know?"

Snorting, Naruto merely glanced away while continuing to rub his neck and his grin slipping off his face. It was like he'd rather not be talking about this. It kind of amused Jiraiya; the boy didn't seem to know how to react to a compliment like that.

"I just did!" he said, a small blush lighting up his face. Then a large grin returned to his face as he looked back at the man, "And ramen sure is great inspiration! Without it, I would probably be stuck still trying figure out what kind of jutsu to make!"

"W-wait," Jiraiya stammered as a sudden confusion and surprise welled up inside him. "Are you saying that you taught yourself the Rasengan without anyone else to teach you!"

"Rasengan?" Naruto asked, his grin fading in favor of a frown as his eyes narrowed in on Jiraiya's face in a calculative manner. "What's that? Wait…isn't that the Yondaime's jutsu? How could I possibly know that? No one else does!"

Jiraiya was speechless. He knew that the Rasengan was Yondaime's jutsu. He knew that no one else knew how to do the jutsu, excluding himself. Yet he'd figured out how to reconstruct the jutsu, on his own apparently, while having no clue as to what he was doing! This was ridiculous!

But somehow…fitting.

"Well, I'll be…" he muttered. "This is unbelievable."

"What?" Naruto demanded, getting irritated at this pervert asking him these random questions. "What are you talking about anyway? What's the Rasengan got to do with anything anyway?"

Sighing resignedly, Jiraiya looked down at the ground. Should he show the kid his own Rasengan, or shouldn't he? The kid had practically mastered it on his own. Should he interfere and tear away the kid's confidence by showing him that the jutsu had already been created?

"Answer me!" the boy's shout snapped him from his internal debate. He was about to yell at the kid when he realized that he _had _just been standing there, staring into space and hadn't answered the question.

But then he did it anyway, just to feel better. "Shut up, baka!"

"You're the one just standing there, ero-baka!" Naruto snapped.

"Pay me respect!" Jiraiya snapped back. "I'm Jiraiya of the Sannin."

"Sannin?" Naruto said, looking momentarily confused. Then understanding crept across his face as he compared the man's apparent ability to several Jounin, he was indeed much too strong to be jounin. Therefore, he could only be one of the three greatest shinobi to ever come from Konoha. Whatever respect he may have had for the man was then violently squashed when he remembered he openly admitted to being a 'super pervert.' "Why should I care, Ero-Sannin?"

Jiraiya was seeing red around the edges of his vision. This brat had absolutely no respect to those who were clearly many times his superior in strength, power, speed, and experience! And to think that a brat like this had survived long enough to take the Chuunin Final Exam!

"What's the Rasengan got to do with you interrupting my training again!" Naruto demanded loudly, losing his temper for a moment. He didn't have time to waste on this pervert sage.

"BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT YOU WERE JUST _DOING!_" Jiraiya bellowed back in his face.

Naruto just blinked. Then blinked again. Did that mean what he thought it meant? No that couldn't be right. He'd made this jutsu from scratch; it was his! There was no way the Yondaime could've made a similar jutsu as this! It just wouldn't be fair!

"What?" he asked quietly, belying his inner turmoil. "That can't be right…You're lying."

Seeing the boy showing the obvious signs of denial, he knew he had to burst his bubble. Though he could tell he was seriously going to regret it very quickly. It was with this resigned thought that he held up a hand, molding his chakra.

Naruto watched in horror as the Sannin performed the very same steps to his own jutsu. First the chakra began to swirl around his palm, then it gathered together and formed a tight sphere of greatly compressed chakra winds. The speeds that the chakra was spinning at was incredible, a fair amount faster than his own. Yet, despite a sudden lump inside his gut, he couldn't help but to notice that Jiraiya had used slightly less chakra than he usually did.

Seeing that the boy was just staring at the sphere as though it was a candle in the darkness, Jiraiya walked over to the nearest tree. Just as he was about to shove the Rasengan into its trunk, he noticed several distinctive spiral patterns in its base. So this was the place this boy had been practicing the jutsu all along.

Naruto watched in awe as a fair sized hole was crazed out of the tree trunk. He just stared at the hole, completely ignorant of the Sannin turning around to face him. Half his mind was suddenly numbed from the extreme shock and disbelief of what had just happened. He had just learned that he'd recreated the Yondaime's famous jutsu with absolutely no clue to his actions. He just learned that this super pervert of a shinobi also knew how to do it. He just learned how close to perfecting the jutsu he truly was. It was too much to take in all at once.

On the other hand, the other half of his brain that wasn't trapped in these thoughts instinctively began analyzing the way the pervert had created the jutsu. It seemed that he didn't have to exert nearly as much as he himself did. That could only mean that he was indeed quite strong. When Jiraiya had delivered the Rasengan, he had been able to hold it at full power until he shoved it into the tree. Yet he hadn't used as much chakra as Naruto usually did. Did that mean that he could control it easier if he just used a little less? The fact that jutsu had completely incinerated a portion of the tree without Jiraiya doing anything more than merely pushing it inside was comforting. It would seem that this jutsu had come out as planned, no stabbing into an enemy's body was needed for it to work properly.

Jiraiya watched as Naruto stared blankly at the tree for some time. It would seem as though he was still trying to adjust to the surprise of learning that he'd not been able to create a truly original jutsu. Then, as the boy dropped his gaze to the ground, he noticed his shoulders were shaking very slightly.

"You're not gonna cry, are you?" Jiraiya asked, torn between smiling and frowning.

"Shut up, Ero-Sannin," Naruto said in a voice just barely over a whisper.

"Don't take this too personally," he said, crossing his arms and gazing down on the boy as though he were the boy's sensei. "There are lots of jutsus out there. For all you know, you could've been remaking the Housenka no Jutsu. But be proud it was this one, since it _is _listed as an A-class attack jutsu."

Naruto made no comment. He just continued to stare at the ground. Succumbing to curiosity, Jiraiya knelt down to see what expression was on his face so he could know how to handle him. The face he saw when Naruto finally looked up wasn't exactly what he expected.

The boy had the largest, more sincere smile on his face that he'd ever seen before.

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From that point on, Naruto had unofficially become the Sannin's latest apprentice. His newest sensei strongly advised him to continue working on his jutsu--Rasengan, he reminded himself. With how quickly he'd mastered it in the next two days, he couldn't stop himself from grinning like a fool. Now he finally had a jutsu that everyone would have to respect! Not that he wanted anyone to know about it just yet.

But once he'd finished that, Naruto realized almost immediately that he had too much planned to able to learn in his steadily decreasing month of training. He still had to learn and master the Chakra Scalpels, work on his taijutsu, study what he knew on the Byakugan and Jyuuken, and learn the Suiryuudan from Ero-sensei as well as the Kuchiyose from Jiraiya. The only way he could learn all this stuff was if he took some time out of the day for everything. That meant he'd have to cut off his practice for everything else prematurely. Which was something he just _didn't _want to do!

After ranting his complaints to Jiraiya on the second day of this hectic schedule of his, the man simply threw him a look that questioned his intelligence as he said, "Baka! One thing at a time!"

"But then I'll never learn everything in time, Ero-Sannin!" the boy whined, crocodile tears coming down his cheeks. "Can you please help me with this?"

Putting on a thoughtful look, Jiraiya closed his eyes and pretended to be in deep thought. Then, after opening his eyes to look the blonde in the eye, he said, "No. One thing at a time."

It was a small wonder that he walked away from that conversation with nothing more than a headache at the loud complaints and curses that Naruto threw at him.

But despite his busy training schedule, he was sure to keep an eye open for the happenings in Konoha. The atmosphere in Konoha was a thing of restrained excitement and nervousness. The Chuunin Exams were close to being over, just a few more weeks and the Finals would begin. The remaining participants didn't waste any time relaxing, except Shikamaru. Naruto made it a point to periodically try to check up on all the participants, out of honest curiosity.

Sounds of intense fighting coming from the Hyuuga compound only hinted at what Neji was doing. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro had disappeared shortly after they left the Forest of Death. Kakashi had left with Sasuke shortly afterwards. Shino, being Shino, went missing the moment the Team Eight was dismissed. The only one that the village could actively watch in his training was Naruto, who was everywhere in Konoha these days.

After his time in the forest, Naruto realized that he was severely lacking in speed and muscular strength. But then again, he wasn't being fair with himself due to the fact that he was comparing himself to Rock Lee. Thanks to his personal tenant, he was able to push himself ridiculously hard. So it became a common sight to Konoha to see an orange blur running ten laps around the _entire _village in the mornings.

With a short breather, he would head out to the training fields to have spar with hordes of Kage Bunshins. One word would sum up those 'spars': intense. The only way to differentiate between the mass of clones and the real one was that only Naruto would be wearing his full orange jumpsuit attire. To any shinobi that was watching that chaotic gaggle-fuck, they'd see that the blonde seemed to be experimenting with various taijutsu tactics and attacks, or just refining his various ninjutsus. But due to the numbers and the fact that they always seemed to do random things at any one time, it was almost impossible to see what they were truly trying to accomplish. It was inside the safety of this mass that he worked on his newest Rendan.

Around lunch, he'd take a short break at Ichiraku's Ramen. Then he'd head out to either the river or the hot springs to work on the newest jutsu that Ero-Sannin had him training on: Kuchiyose.

Naruto was struggling to summon one of the larger frogs, but all he could manage were the smaller ones. The largest he'd been able to summon was one that stood slightly over his knee. He had been very proud that his very first attempt resulted in him meeting Gamakichi, who seemed to have taken fast liking to him. But his pride was crushed when Jiraiya insulted his ability and demanded that he try to summon one of the largest.

Jiraiya was now busy trying not to let his perverted giggles get too loud as his watched the pair of goddesses down in the stream splashing and playing with one another. Behind him he could feel various surges of chakra as his Yondaime look-alike tried to complete his task. He couldn't help but to smirk at his own brilliance. As smart as the blonde was, he just didn't realize the dual purpose of him insulting him.

First it was so that the boy wouldn't get arrogant. While Gamakichi was a bit on the small side of what he expected the boy to be able to summon, he let it slide since he knew that the boy was having morning spars using his Tajuu Kage Bunshin.

The second reason was to exhaust the boy of his immense chakra supply so he'd be forced to draw on the Kyuubi's chakra. It was high time he learned how to do that willingly. It actually surprised him that the boy hadn't started to already. Then again, he seemed to be running on willpower alone these past six days.

"Gah!" the blonde in question growled out in exasperation and anger. "They keep getting smaller!"

Glancing back, Jiraiya spotted a small tadpole flopping on the ground at the boy's feet. The boy's face was becoming that of pure murderous intent for himself, Jiraiya, and even the innocent summon. The old Sannin couldn't help but grin at the break in the boy's mask. Naruto was valiantly trying to stay calm, having given up on keeping his grin on his face several hours ago.

Feeling his gaze on him, Naruto turned sharply towards the super pervert to vent. Ignoring the boy's ranting, Jiraiya returned his attention to river. Oh, this would be a very juicy chapter in his newest story! Two goddesses descended from heaven to bathe in this fair river, unknowingly seen by a handsome, charismatic man who'd show them there were different versions of heaven.

Hearing a body hit the ground, he glanced back at Naruto. The boy had collapsed again, no doubt of exhaustion. The boy was no doubt on his last leg in chakra reserves. While his stamina was ungodly, Jiraiya felt that even he couldn't go this long while using the enormous amounts and still have some left. If the boy couldn't get this jutsu soon, then he'd have to resort to a ploy that was decidedly extremely dangerous and even stupid. But then again, if the gaki couldn't summon the chakra with his will then he'd never realize his full potential until a very, _very _long time from now.

Shaking the blonde awake, he said impassively, "Go home and rest. Tomorrow, skip your spar and come straight here. I want to what you can summon when you're still fresh."

Nodding groggily, the blonde slumped back to the ground and fell fitfully asleep again. Smirking at that, Jiraiya turned back to the river. He groaned when he realized that the woman were finished playing and were now heading up onto the opposite shore to get dressed. Then a perverted leer crossed his face as he imagined what he'd find in the bushes on the opposite riverbank.

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The blonde took his jacket off after his two laps run around Konoha. He sat cross-legged on the bank of the same river as he had been yesterday. Resting his chin in the palm of his hand on his leg, he contemplated on how he could humiliate the Hyuuga-teme he was to fight in less than three weeks.

He wanted to beat that Hyuuga-teme so badly! But the bastard deserved so much more than a mere beating. He needed to be humiliated in such a way that everyone would realize that he had it coming and not question Naruto's motives to do so. Especially after what the bastard did to his Hinata-chan, there was no way he was going to let him get away with keeping his pride. Now how should he do it?

The first and most obvious way would be to beat him at his own game: try to recreate the Jyuuken and then beat him with it. But that was impossible to do, in order to use the Jyuuken he needed the Byakugan. It seemed he had to find his own way. And Neji wasn't called a genius for nothing. Naruto was willing to bet that the genius was planning on him doing such a thing. And one thing he'd learned about 'geniuses' was that rarely they do not have some sort of trump card up their sleeve. But if that were true, what was Neji's advantage?

He knew the bastard could see the tenketsu, which were suppose to be nearly invisible. That would be his first hurdle. How could he prevent the bastard from seeing his tenketsu and closing them? The first answer to come to him was his Oboro but he didn't know what affect it would have on a Byakugan user. Sure, it blinded the Sharingan because the chakra covered the person. But the Byakugan could see through chakra and if the tenketsu were expelling the chakra, wouldn't it only aid the teme? Hm…he'd only know if he could experiment on a Hyuuga, but hell would freeze over before he'd ask one of those white-eyed pricks for help. And poor Hinata-chan was still in the hospital too, so he couldn't ask her either.

The next hurdle would have to be preventing him from using the Jyuuken on him. The first answer was simple: Kage Bunshin. But he was still far behind on taijutsu, which Neji was an expert on the Jyuuken. That would mean that he'd have to use mostly ninjutsus against him. Kaze Kiwa and Tajuu Kage Bunshin sounded very tempting at the moment, but he refused to kill a fellow Konoha shinobi. That left his only option to swarm the bastard, but only using his new Rendan as a last resort since there was a high possibility of it doing more than merely beating him up.

The final hurdle would have to be preventing him from using his Byakugan to divine his location. If the doujutsu could see everything in nearly all directions, he'd have to do something that would impair his eyesight. But nothing short of cutting those troublesome eyes out came to his mind. He'd just have to wait and plan. Maybe he should visit Hinata-chan some time in the near future…

It was during these deep thoughts that Jiraiya finally arrived. He stared at his student who was sitting at his feet, staring unseeingly at his legs. From the extremely faint blush that was creeping out from around the boy's mask, he realized that the boy was probably thinking about a girl. And here he was condemning Jiraiya's peeping habits! Hm, maybe he should follow the boy around for a little just to see who the no doubt cute girl was that he was thinking about…

"Oi!" Jiraiya said loudly, snapping the blonde from his slight daydream. "What are you staring at?"

Looking up at the man with a wide-eyed expression that seemed slightly out of place on his face, Naruto stuttered out, "Ah, n-n-noth-thing!" Quickly regaining his vocabulary and making a mental note to never get caught up in his thoughts again, he jumped to his feet and glared up at the man. "Don't sneak up on me! I hate it when people do that!"

"Why?" he asked with honest curiosity. "Because you don't like being caught thinking dirty thoughts?"

That extremely faint blush returned for the barest of moments before he yelled out, "Because I just do!"

Waving the boy's rant aside, he said, "Whatever, now get to work!"

Growling slightly as he glared up at the man, Naruto began the handseals. When the smoke cleared after he slammed the ground with his hands, Naruto now rode on the very same frog that Jiraiya had used to give him the summoning contract to sign.

"You can summon Gamayoyaku at full power?" Jiraiya asked, the disbelief and surprise in his voice was painfully obvious.

"Full power?" Naruto asked as he sat down on the frog's head, rubbing it lovingly. His satisfied smirk only faltered when he realized just what Jiraiya wanted him to do. "You wanted me to summon at _full _power?"

The frog glanced from its newest summoner to its usual summoner. It wore what could grudging be called a smirk as it heard Naruto's question.

Jiraiya's almost hesitant nod brought a frown from Naruto. He really didn't want to show off how much chakra he really had. Only now did he realize his mistake at asking his question about that. Now Jiraiya would want to see just how powerful he really was. Despite his increasing grudging respect for the man, he didn't want to go that far just yet.

"I can't," he said, careful to his voice and expression cheerful and slightly exhausted. He would need perfect acting skills to put this off. "I just used over half of it on this guy here."

He punctuated that statement by patting Gamayoyaku's head again.

Jiraiya was far from convinced. The blonde was still moving too easily for him to be anywhere near that mark. It would seem that he didn't want to show off. This thought brought a small smile to his face. After all, if he did want to show off, it would only get him arrogant sooner or later. That would be fatal to any and all involved if it was during a mission that his pride was crushed.

"Okay," he said, letting the boy believe he'd fooled him. "That's enough practice on this jutsu, you've obviously got the hang of it. Tomorrow we'll--"

"Ero-Sannin," Naruto interrupted. Ignoring the man's irritated glare, he continued, "I want to train with Ero-sensei for a little bit. He promised to teach me the Suiryuudan no Jutsu."

Raising an eyebrow at that, Jiraiya said, "Is that why you two were at the hot springs that day?"

"Hai," he said rubbing his neck. "It was the closest water source."

"I see," Jiraiya stared down at the boy critically. "Are you sure you can handle that suiton jutsu? I've noticed that you have a particular flair with fuuton jutsus, and Suiryuudan isn't a Jounin jutsu for nothing you know? You may have a harder time than usual learning and wielding it."

Snorting at that, Naruto put on a large foxy grin as he said, "I'll manage."

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"Ero-sensei!" the blonde called out. "ERO-SENSEI!"

"_STOP CALLING ME THAT!_" a furious scream sounded from the bedroom of the house he stood in front of.

Naruto couldn't stop the smirk from crossing his face. It worked every time like a charm. Why should he stop using it when it _always _worked?

Seeing a familiar figure appear in one of the windows, Naruto caught the fading signs of a deep blush on his face. _Damn perverts_, he couldn't help but think. _But at least this one has the dignity to be one in private_. It was this thought that led to his smirk turning into a foxy grin as he waved at the head.

"Come on, Ero-sensei!" he yelled. "You promised to teach that jutsu! Remember? Don't think you're off the hook because Ero-Sannin is teaching me too!"

In a poof of smoke next to him, the man appeared. "Yes, I do, Naruto-san," he said, trying to keep his irritation from getting the best of him.

Not missing a beat, Naruto grabbed hold of the man and started to drag him towards the training grounds. Part of the river flowed through them thankfully, so he wouldn't have to use the hot springs or the river in the village.

"So, Naruto-san," Ebisu said as they leapt across the roofs of the village. "What's Jiraiya-sama been teaching you?"

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" he said with a smirk. "And he's helped me perfect another jutsu I've been making for the past six months."

"Really?" he said, glancing at his part-time pupil. "What do you call that one?"

"That…" was the simple reply with a cheeky grin. "is a secret!"

Ebisu was so surprised that he missed his footing as he was coming down from his leap and slipped. Landing roughly in the street with as much dignity as he could manage, he glanced up at the roof as the blonde poked his head over it. There was a large grin on it before he broke out in helpless laughter.

"Careful!" he yelled between laughing, pointing at the man. "Watch your step!"

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"Now you already know the basics of how to perform jutsu," Ebisu said as he watched Naruto walk out onto the river's surface. "Being able to channel your chakra into the water like what you're doing now is critical for this jutsu to work properly."

Naruto nodded, taking in each and every word.

"In fact, the easiest way to perform this jutsu is if you're standing on the water," Ebisu continued. "The fact that you're already expelling chakra into the water greatly aids the potency of the jutsu. Of course the amount of chakra required for the jutsu alone is nearly equal to ten of your Kage Bunshins. Add to that how much it takes for you to stand on the water. That equals into a very large amount. Which is way this is strictly for Jounin, but you're an exception due to your…unique physique."

Naruto nodded, strangely proud that he finally understood what he was saying. _Kyuubi no Kitsune_.

"Of course," the man continued, in a lecture-mode that rivaled even Iruka-sensei. "You may have a harder time to grasp this training than others since you have a unique talent for wind, not water."

"So I've heard," Naruto growled, rather irritated at people assuming they knew what he could or couldn't do without him even trying. "What are the handseals?"

Ebisu couldn't help but smirk. "There are a twenty-eight handseals for this jutsu. Should you mistake even _one _of them, the jutsu _will _fail."

Naruto just gawked at that. Maybe this was going to a _little _more difficult than he thought.

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"Do it again!" Ebisu barked.

"I'm almost out of chakra!" Naruto snapped venomously. Who knew that Ero-sensei was such a slave-driver?

The sun was falling but neither of the shinobi cared. The only things going through their minds were on him performing this jutsu correctly. Naruto was panting from the exertion, barely finding the strength to stay standing, much less stand on the water. Finally he gave in to his weakness and sunk into the waist deep water before trudging back to shore. Ebisu's scowl deepened slightly at seeing the boy work his way to shore.

Collapsing as soon as he was on shore, Naruto just panted for a moment. Pulling himself painfully into a sitting position, he went into his patented 'thinking position' which was merely sitting cross-legged, resting his chin in his palm on his leg. Seeing the boy once again going back into that position, Ebisu decided to let him be. It hadn't taken him long to realize that each time after Naruto came out of that trance he entered while doing this, he could usually perform better on what he was suppose to be learning.

This was a much harder jutsu than he thought. Not only did he have a hard time channeling the right amount of chakra into the water, he had trouble manipulating it into a tangible form which would become the dragon head. It was the third day he'd been trying to do this jutsu and he was still barely pass the first step.

_Think, Naruto,_ he ordered himself_. Think…what am I doing wrong that I know of? Hm…well, I guess I'm pumping too much chakra into the water for one. It would seem that if too much goes into it, it won't form correctly. Ero-sensei said that water-walking is the basic step to learning this. I know I have to use the same kind of control to stand on water that I do with forming the dragon. But how can I judge if I'm giving too much or not enough? Hm…Okay, back to the basics of the basics_.

Staring at the river as it flowed past him, indifferent to the difficulties that his small boy was running into in his attempts to manipulate it, he went through everything he'd ever learned of chakra and the handseals. To form a jutsu you have to use handseals to pump chakra into to focus it into jutsus. He'd always had a small problem with this, always using too much due to the fact that he had so much to spare.

_That's it!_ he realized_. I'm forcing the chakra into the handseals and am not letting it flow naturally into them…like the river,_ he realized.

A serious expression came across his face as he rose to feet. His sudden action drew Ebisu's attention. The jounin instructor watched as the blonde walked resolutely out onto the water, seemingly not suffering from chakra depletion anymore.

Carefully going through the handseals, Naruto had to forcefully restrain himself to falling back into his old habit. He let the chakra come out in measured bursts. It wouldn't do him any good to use all of what he'd just regained from that small rest.

Ebisu stared as he felt the chakra flowing from Naruto. It wasn't the same excessiveness as before, it was to a lesser amount. Like he was being ridiculously careful how much he was using.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" he yelled as the water in front of him suddenly burst up and formed the shape of a dragon head. Unlike the previous times, it didn't fall apart midway through. It held its form as the dragon let out a roar and leapt through the air only to crash back into the river.

Once the small tsunami that the water dragon had created died down, Ebisu walked toward the blonde. Naruto was panting heavily as he slowly began to sink back into the river again. Finally, with a resigned sigh, he let his consciousness fade in favor of a well-deserved sleep.

Picking up the drenched boy, Ebisu walked back to shore and gently deposited him on the ground. Then he glanced up at the darkened sky and let out a sigh of his own. He would have to take the blonde home, seeing as he was unconscious and both of them had lost track of time. Yet it didn't bother him as much as it might've had things been different between sensei and gakusei.

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"ERO-SANNIN!" Naruto yelled out, looking towards where he knew the super pervert was hiding. "_STOP PEEPING! _For someone of your _age_, isn't it _ILLEGAL_!"

Shrieking of surprise and rage could be heard coming from the woman's locker room. There was a stampede of women rushing to escape the bathhouse and the pervert's eye. Naruto's smirk grew as he watched the disappointed man trudge out from his hiding place. He actually looked like he was going to sincerely cry.

"You always ruin my best research!" the man moaned, as though he were starring in his own drama show. "Why can't you go destroy someone else's career?"

"Because you're pathetically easy to piss off," the blonde answered truthfully with a foxy grin. This only earned him a rather painful introduction with Mother Earth.

"What do you want now, gaki?" the man demanded before the boy launched himself at him.

Glaring dangerously at the man, Naruto silently fumed for a moment. After forcefully regaining his composure, he said, "Do you have any healing herbs or some sort of tonic that speeds up the healing process?"

"And why would you of all people be needing that?" the man asked, his interest instantly piqued.

"I'm…I'm working on a…" an almost uncertain look slipped through his mask for a moment. Then he regained his composure as he spoke up with confidence. "I'm working on a new jutsu and I think I'll be needing it!"

Contemplating just what the blonde had said, Jiraiya asked in a surprisingly serious manner, "You plan to use it in the Finals?"

He watched his student closely. There was more to this story than the boy was willing to tell him. Especially since he had that kitsune inside him, he didn't require any healing stimulants.

"If at all possible, yes," Naruto said, mirroring Jiraiya's seriousness. "So do you have any?"

Ignoring the question, Jiraiya said, "Your first opponent is that Hyuuga genius, right?"

"Hai," Naruto said, trying to control his growing irritation.

"You want to know something about the Hyuuga clan?" Jiraiya asked.

Did that mean what he hoped it meant? That Jiraiya knew something about the clan that nobody else knew? Possibly a hidden or secret jutsu, or maybe how they even did their Jyuuken? If so, was he gonna teach him?

"What?" he asked, not hiding his excitement. "What!"

Jiraiya just looked at Naruto, as though trying to judge if his student could handle what he was about to tell him. Giving an exaggerated resigned sigh, he said, in all seriousness, "They're the strongest clan in Konoha."

Naruto just stared at the man for a second. Jiraiya was given his own introduction to Mother Earth the next second.NNNNN

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**(Author's Note) **Yeah yeah, I know, it's really late. My only excuse is this: writer's block and a much too-eventful week at the fort for me (no, I'm not gonna talk about!). If I had the right inspiration, I could've easily had this out several days after Chapter 17.

One issue I guess I should've explained to you all earlier is this. I did NOT misspell 'Rendan'. The English-Japanese translation site I use quite clearly shows that it is spelled 'R-E-N-D-A,' not Rendan. I swear on my reputation as an author!

As requested by LoneIgadzra, I've finally 'found' you guys comic relief character. Any guesses on who? ;P

-yoyaku contract (fitting name for _that _frog, eh?)

Gakusei student


	19. Only Human

Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 19—Only Human

"Okay, here it comes!" the bunshin shouted.

It shoved its glowing hands at his chest. He felt the chakra enter into the body, cutting and tearing. He yelped and jumped back, cradling his chest gently.

"You baka!" Naruto yelled. "Be careful! You almost hit my heart!"

"So what?" the bunshin asked. "You'll heal soon enough."

"That's not the point!" he snapped. "We have to be careful or we'll kill someone we don't want to!"

The bunshin paused for a moment. It chuckled innocently as the chakra disappeared from its hands and rubbed the back of its neck. "Gomen, I guess I forgot."

Naruto and his bunshin were in his apartment. They sat in front of each other, surrounded by various scrolls, including his recently extended, updated, and improved Uzumaki Family Scrolls. Having decided that it was time to protect all of the scrolls, he had gone out of his way to add a fairly complex 'locking' seal that did as its name implied. Only someone with a rather intimate knowledge of the seal or was exceptionally bright would be able to open it.

The real blonde was bare-chested so as to help him examine himself while experimenting with this jutsu. Though there was little more than a week left, Naruto wasn't letting up. He had set his mind to mastering the Chakra Scalpels, and there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that he was going to quit before giving it his all.

Yet, despite his resolve, he was trying to teach himself a new brand of jutsu that were all but alien to him. It was easy for a person to convert chakra into the destructive power that fueled most jutsus. But this was a whole new level of chakra conversion for him, considering it had to become a _constructive _force.

The fact that he'd spent almost the entire previous week attempting to get the conversion right had royally sparked his temper. Ero-Sannin and Ero-sensei could offer no advice to him; this was not their area of expertise. And it was a given that not a single medic-nin would wish to teach him.

Before its maker lost his temper, the bunshin quickly said, "So, did everything happen like it was suppose to?"

Forcefully calming himself, he looked down at his bare chest. Carefully examining it, he found no outward sign of the sharp pain that consumed it. That was good, since it meant that his clone had performed the Chakra Scalpels correctly. Yet, at the same time, he felt something was off.

The area where his bunshin had hit him was filled with chakra. Technically it was his own chakra, the fact that it had been introduced into his body by another source made it much more detectable than his other chakra. While normally that would've signaled that the jutsu had been successful, he knew that something was wrong. Based on the scroll he had laying on the tabletop next to them, the Chakra Scalpels weren't suppose to leave lingering amounts behind. Not only that, but the damage was in a particularly familiar fashion; in an almost random circular shape rather than the tear that was suppose to appear.

"No," Naruto said, trying to reign in his temper and examine what he was feeling logically. "Something's different…"

The Chakra Scalpels were to be delivered straight from the fingers or hand into the other person's body. It was theoretically a simple process of shoving sharpened chakra directly into the enemy upon physical contact. The result of this sharpened chakra entering a foreign body was that it would cut and tear any tissue it encountered. Yet, the pain in his chest was too widespread to be a straight shot. And, therefore, the pain he was experiencing was much less than he thought he should since it was more widespread.

Then it came to him.

"You seem to have put a spin in your chakra somehow," Naruto said, already starting to get slightly irritated. "It's like the Rasengan. Not only that but the chakra is lingering…"

"Nani?" the bunshin asked, quite surprised. "You mean I did something like the Jyuuken with a little bit of the Rasengan?"

"Apparently so," Naruto growled. It wouldn't be a good idea to get mad at the bunshin, thus with himself, if he still couldn't get this. "What happened? Why didn't you do it right?"

"I thought I was!" the bunshin snapped defensively. "If you want, I'll try it again, All-Mighty Genius of All Jutsus!"

Growling at his bunshin's attitude, he began to reconsider his option of simply dissolving it. He was about to retort when he realized just what the bunshin had done. It had done a hybrid jutsu of the Rasengan and Jyuuken! When compared to the results…

"No, do it again," Naruto said quickly, forgetting about his chest pain as it inevitably vanished. He needed to test this theory. Seeing the bunshin's surprise, he clarified, "Do it again, exactly as you had done it before."

"Sure," it said as it began the seven handseals again. "I don't see why you want to, though."

"Shut up and do it!" he snapped. "Only this time to my wrists."

As its glowing hands grabbed his wrists, he could feel its chakra seep in. Pulling his hands free, Naruto began to perform the handseals for the Kaze Kiwa. Seeing these actions, the bunshin immediately jumped back into a defensive position. The blonde original ignored it, trying to finish the jutsu.

When he reached the last seal, he pumped out a precise amount of chakra to activate it. But something was wrong. He could feel the chakra flow into his handseals, but it was slightly different than what it usually was; excluding his stinging wrists. Since it was essentially his own chakra that the bunshin had forced inside him, the amount that went into the handseals was greater than what he had measured.

If this jutsu had this affect on _him_, what would it do to someone else? Since the chakra was his own, it was adding in the release and increase in power of the chakra winds surrounding his arm now. But if it had been used on someone, preferably Neji, would it have the reverse effect and clog his inner coils? There was only one way to know for sure: he'd have to experiment on someone.

After a moment, they looked up at each other and slow grins crept up their faces. Ero-Sannin was probably going to be in a very bad mood when he was done with the man.

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In the end, Ero-Sannin came through beautifully on his request. The man popped up one morning almost a week days before the finals with the desired drug. Jiraiya had said that the ingredients in it were rare but strong. It was able to increase the healing rate of the average person's body by at least fifty percent.

While this was good at preventing unnecessary pain and further injuries, it had a high cost. That was the person's chakra was solely focused on healing the injury and thus not usable for a single jutsu until the process was complete. However should the person get in a situation that was physically demanding before they were fully recovered, the wounds would tear open again and the healing process would be halted instantly.

Jiraiya had been surprisingly serious in his warnings, so Naruto took in everything he said just as seriously. It was only meant to be used to stimulate healing in the body, not to be used as a miracle-cure for any and all injuries. The dosages varied on how serious the injury. But generally a deep cut wound would only require two separate servings.

Taking all this in, Naruto thanked the man profusely as he tucked it safely into his weapons' pouch. Then he proceeded to experiment his jutsu on him. As he predicted, the jutsu did clog Jiraiya's inner coils some. But when Jiraiya began to throw out larger amounts, he had been able to overcome that.

Due to the fact that he knew the man to be fairly observant to anything that could even remotely be considered perverted, Naruto made it a note to stay clear of where he truly desired to use this medicine. Since he was almost positive the man would be following him, out of curiosity, he tried to make it seem as though he'd asked for it for himself.

This was in addition to why he'd been spending so much time learning the Chakra Scalpels. Actually, he no longer called the jutsu Chakra Scalpels since it no longer held to the requirements of the original. No, he now preferred to call it Kibou Te no Jutsu.

One day, while he was experimenting with the Kibou Te again, he'd actually tried a very small sample of the tonic himself. The effect it had on him, given his natural increased healing prowess, was beyond incredible. After a particularly bad blow to his chest with the use of his now altered Chakra Scalpels, he took a single drop of the serum. In less than a second, the damage to his chest had been healed entirely.

Now, three days before the finals, Naruto finally stood in the hallway of the hospital. In front of him was a door to the room that he wished to deliver the tonic to. But for some reason, as he was reaching for the handle of the door, he had suddenly gotten a strange feeling in his stomach. It was almost as though he was about to commit a foul act that he knew deep down he shouldn't.

Should he go in? She had probably already been sufficiently healed that she didn't need the tonic. Yet, the injuries she'd gotten had indeed been much more severe than he'd originally thought. That much he'd gathered from stray comments he'd heard throughout the Konoha during the past few weeks. Her injuries were severe enough to keep her in the hospital for almost the entire month! It was enough to have him wonder why he was feeling so nervous.

She wouldn't like it here. Sure, she was probably safer here, away from _him_. But Naruto was willing to bet that she was feeling slightly left out from what her friends were doing on the outside. Plus, he wanted her to be there to see him respecting his promise to beat the young man that had so gleefully toyed with her.

It was with this thought that he steeled his resolve and firmly grasped the handle. Opening the door as quietly as his stealth skills would allow, he glanced through the opening to make sure he wasn't intruding. The room was vacant of all except the single occupant in the bed, who was sleeping fitfully.

Instantly he was beyond grateful that he'd entered quietly. He knew from experience what it was like to be woken from a nice dream. Silent as a shadow, he slipped inside the room and approached her.

From what he could see, she was dressed in the standard hospital gown. Her hair was slightly disheveled, no doubt from the lack of a brush. Her face was a little pale, but much healthier looking than what he remembered last seeing. Never before had Naruto ever thought that she'd ever looked so pretty.

As if realizing what thoughts had just crossed his mind, Naruto violently shook his head to clear them. He wasn't going to start thinking like that! Damn Ero-Sannin and Ero-sensei! It would seem as though their perverted habits were finally starting to make an appearance in him. This just wouldn't do.

As he was making a mental note to beat the men to a pulp the next time he saw them, he saw the various 'get-well' cards from her team and several others from the Rookie Nine. It was then that he realized that maybe he should've dropped by earlier. The thought of being the last one to leave a gift for her slightly depressed him. Once again living up to his reputation of being the 'dead-last' of the Rookies.

Closing his eyes, he forcefully calmed himself. He could literally see his chakra as it suddenly spiked in power due to his emotions. He didn't want to scare her awake, or alert the medic-nins that he was here. They disliked him coming here more than most of the villagers, no doubt with the thought that they might be forced to heal their dreaded 'demon.'

Reaching into his weapons' pouch, he pulled out the tonic. Setting it down behind the get-well cards, he grabbed a scroll from his pocket and tied it to the tonic. Once he was sure that it was secure, he backed away slightly before looking over at the girl.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to say something to unconscious girl, a noise assaulted his ears. A nurse was outside the door, he could hear her grabbing on to the door handle. Her chakra capacity was slightly greater than the average nurse so that could only mean a medic-nin-in-training.

He didn't stop to think. Reacting on instinct, as though he was about to be caught in his latest prank, he abruptly turned and vanished. As the nurse entered the room, a gentle breeze swept over her, ruffling the papers on the clipboard she carried. Glancing up, she saw that one of the windows was left wide open.

"Damn, gaki," she muttered, thinking about the girl's rowdy teammate.

It was only as she was approaching the window to close it that she caught sight of a rapidly vanishing orange spot racing across the rooftops of Konoha. She couldn't help but to thank all gods, both known and forgotten, that that demon brat hadn't come to visit the poor Hyuuga girl.

Thankfully, she failed notice the addition to the girl's collection on the bedside table.

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Only a few blocks away from the hospital, an unruly clump of white hair sat crouched behind a chimney. In his hands was a short telescope that had until moments ago been up to his eye. For those who knew the man, they could tell just what he'd been watching based on his internationally known perverted leer.

Oh that boy had been good. He'd purposely gone out of his way to prevent the man from finding out what he was trying to hide. The fact that the boy's ploy was glowing very brightly on his pervert-radar was the only reason he'd persisted in watching over him for so long.

And his findings had been very fruitful. This was incredible research! He could just imagine dozens of scenarios to use that scene in for his next or upcoming books. But one thing was absolutely for sure; he was going to keep that boy in sight at all times when he got a little older and began to truly discover the wonders of the opposite sex. That would be the best research he'd ever gathered!

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Panting from the adrenaline rush he'd just experienced, Naruto glanced back in the direction of the hospital. He'd never traveled so far so fast before! Not even when he'd gone berserk in Wave Country…okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. But he couldn't help but to be impressed with himself for a moment.

Jumping down to street, he looked around to get a better idea of where he was. He rarely came to portion of Konoha, since it held the business district. Many of the shops and stands had been less than considerate of the young child trying to get some clothing or even friends seven years ago. Now that he was older, and much more confident, he ignored the glares he was receiving in favor of walking towards a building that piqued his interest.

His orange jumpsuit was getting threadbare and worn. He wouldn't be exaggerating when he said that more stitches held the jacket together than the fabric. He needed to get a new one. But as he walked inside the shop, a sudden flash of orange and black on one of the hangers changed his mind.

Perhaps he should just get a new style. After all, he'd been using this one for nearly four years now. It was time for a change.

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In his arms he carried a box that was nearly as large as he was. The sight of such a object drew numerous stares towards him; despite their hatred of him, the villagers just couldn't help but feel curious as to what he was lugging around the streets. It seemed to be very heavy, whatever it was, judging by how much he seemed to be straining to hold it. While it seemed to everyone else that he was straining to carry it, it was in fact very light in weight. He had plans for this thing but he'd have to do a lot of last minute studying to be such he could use it right.

What the object inside the box was simply a large gourd that vaguely resembled the one Gaara always had, at least in size. His gourd was designed more to objects of more bulk, thus it had a much larger opening on the top. It was also shaped to contort to his body, making it easier to carry around than the Suna-nins.

But that wasn't his only new purchase, there was also several new sweaters stuffed inside the gourd. The sweaters had been ridiculously expensive, as usual. But he was very proud of them. So proud, in fact, that he decided to not wear one until the day of the finals. Besides, it would most certainly be amusing to everyone's surprise to see him in a new outfit on that day. Besides he had a growing reputation of being the 'Number 1 Most Surprising Shinobi of Konoha' to live up to. Due to this resolve, he left them in the bag by the door after he got home and pulled it from the gourd.

Before he could run off again to test his theory, he felt something was wrong with his apartment. Turning around after halting his rapid departure, he stared critically into his home. There was a new and foreign, but familiar scent that lingered in the small area. It smelled strongly of strawberry shampoo and some kind of flowery perfume. There were only two people he knew of that used such strong perfumes, but he knew for a fact that the blonde one wouldn't 'degrade herself' by associating with him.

That only left Sakura.

If he had to give a rough estimate, it would seem as though he'd just missed her. She'd seemed to have dropped by, stayed for a few moments after letting herself in, and then abruptly left. That wouldn't have surprised him very much, since he wasn't here at the time. But why would she want to see him in the first place? Surely, she would've been too busy trying to find out some news on Sasuke-teme.

Shrugging it off, he quickly grabbed his bag and entered his apartment. Depositing his sweaters securely in the pile of clean clothes he had stuffed in a corner, he couldn't suppress the smirk for when he imagined how people would react to the outfit.

But that smirk vanished faster than if someone had suddenly slapped him. From the new angle he was standing, he could clearly see that the distinctive bulge in his mattress that the tin container that held his jutsu scrolls made was no longer there. If it weren't for the fact that he clearly remembered tucking it safely under the mattress only the previous evening, he'd have simply thought that he'd misplaced it.

Slowly, almost mechanically, walking forward, Naruto noticed that the strawberry scent grew particularly stronger the closer he got to it. He didn't want to believe it. But the evidence was stacked highly in favor of it, unfortunately for her. An anger of such magnitude that he hadn't felt since he'd thought she'd died boiled to life inside him. _She had stolen his secret jutsu scrolls!_

"SA_-KU-**RA!**_" the scream erupted from his throat as he dashed from his apartment. His Oboro no Jutsu activated out of instinct as he followed her scent as easily as if there were a large red stripe outlining the path she'd taken through Konoha.

He found her deep in the forest. As he drew closer to her, he suppressed his chakra presence as thoroughly as he could in his highly volatile mind frame. Using his incredible stealth and tracking skills, he was fast to find her without her knowing of him.

He hung upside-down from a tree limb with his arms crossed and face resolutely blank as he watched as the pink-haired culprit in the act. Scattered around her were three scrolls while she focused on the one in her hands, one of which had been left open. He recognized the opened scroll as his first one, the one with Oiroke, Oboro, Enmaku, and Kage Bunshin no Jutsus. These were the jutsus that he had considered less important than his then-secret jutsus.

Among those four scrolls was a record of every jutsu he had ever created or learned, and he knew that Sakura had probably mesmerized most of the information on that first scroll by now. She knew almost single one of his secrets when it came to his first jutsus! Except the Rasengan, thank Kami.

The girl was now trying to open his second scroll, the one with his Fuuton jutsus, with what he'd come to realize was her 'strategizing' face. She had most likely recognized the chakra-requirement seal for what it was, which was why she probably hadn't tried to open it.

Dropping silently to ground, he walked up behind. He had to greatly restrain himself from rushing forward, snatching back his scrolls, and from doing something that he'd probably regret later. The toll that took on his self-control was immense. It was nothing short of miraculous that he could prevent it, actually.

Due to his stealth and her lack of attention, it came as a complete shock to her when someone tapped politely on her shoulder. She had finally been able to open the scroll successfully and was quickly absorbing the information held on it when he touched her. Glancing back, she caught a blur of orange and felt her body freeze up. It wasn't necessarily from fear for her life, but from realizing that she'd been caught.

Slowly looking up at her teammate, she saw that his body was covered in that jutsu of his: Oboro. This unnerved her slightly as she knew that he only used it nowadays for fighting against enemies. If he was using it now…

Her teammate didn't say a word. He merely held his hand forward, gesturing with his fingers for her to return his property. Realizing that it was most likely in her best interests, she did, albeit reluctantly.

Once the scrolls were safely back in his possession, Naruto stuffed them gently into his weapons' pouch. Turning to her, he finally dropped his Oboro. His usually cheerful blue eyes were now the uncharacteristic blue of a deadly steel blade. His whisker marks almost seemed to have thickened very faintly in his wrath.

"Sakura," he said her name in a severely controlled voice. Then, disregarding the effort, he screamed out as loud as his lungs could allow. "_WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH **MY **SCROLLS!_"

Wincing at the blonde's volume, Sakura didn't try to reprimand him. She knew she was in the wrong here and he had every right in the universe to be furious. She couldn't help but to lower her gaze under the withering glare he was sending her. But the blonde either didn't notice her retreat or he didn't care, either way, he continued to scream.

"_I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!_" He yelled. "_I'd have expected this of Sasuke-teme, even BAKA-SENSEI! BUT **YOU! **What's the MATTER with you! _Are you so _desperate _to learn everything I hold _secret _to resort to this? I thought you were my _friend!_"

Panting from the exertion, Naruto continued to glare at the girl.

"Gomennasai, Naruto," Sakura said quietly, slightly startled when she saw his eyes suddenly turn red. "I didn't think you'd--"

"_THAT'S THE PROBLEM!_" Naruto interrupted. "_**YOU DIDN'T THINK!** Too busy caught up in yourFANTASIES chasing after a teme who doesn't barely give you the time of day, to stop to consider how OTHER PEOPLE will feel when you decide to find some way of IMPRESSING that teme!_"

That stung. Especially when, in a strange way, Sakura could tell he was right. She never really did look at how other people felt when it came to her obsession with winning the last Uchiha's heart.

"I'm glad you never went on a date with me!" Naruto snapped, finally quieting down and his eyes returned to their normal blue. However, his eyes failed to lose their sharpness. "Now I realize that you never were the type of girl I'd have wanted to have a relationship with!"

Without even waiting for a reply, Naruto promptly did an about-face and dashed off. What he left behind was a greatly humbled pink-haired girl. Sakura didn't know when it happened, but at some point her knees had failed and she found herself a little bit closer to earth than she usually was.

Truth be told; she'd been feeling extremely lonely for the past month. Sasuke and Kakashi had vanished and Naruto was much too busy training to spare time in giving her a visit. It had finally reached a point of which she just had to see that baka's grinning face again. So she'd decided to pop in at his home for surprise visit. But when she'd gotten there, she had to resist the urge to smack herself when she found the apartment empty.

She waited for a moment in case he suddenly appeared, but he didn't. It was as she was leaving that she noticed an abnormal bulge in his bed mattress. She recognized it as a bulge that formed when something was hidden underneath it. She had yielded to her curiosity and found a tin container that held four scrolls. It was then that she realized that she'd hit the jackpot if she wanted to find out more about the blonde enigma. So she'd taken them.

Of the first of the two scrolls she'd been briefly able to read over, she couldn't help but to be immensely surprised. The details of the descriptions, the distinctive planning for the desired outcomes of the various jutsus, notes of any side-affects caused by the jutsus' creation, his estimates on how effective the jutsus could be under various situations, even several rough stretches, all of it was nothing short of the work of a genius. If it hadn't been written in her teammate's handwriting, she'd have thought that he'd picked up the scrolls from some other shinobi or a relative. The fact that the scrolls were labeled as the 'Uzumaki Family Scrolls' interested her as well.

Then there came the one scroll that she couldn't read. She'd recognized the seal on it immediately. It was a rarely seen seal, due to the fact that it was so tedious to use. The only way she could read what was on this scroll with the seal on it was if she read over Naruto's shoulder. And should the seal be removed by anyone other than him, the scroll would be destroyed. The fact that Naruto had taken the time to protect this single scroll had really interested her. The jutsu must've been one of his best, if not _the _best. But what could possibly be that was better than his Oboro or fuuton jutsus was beyond her.

She had every intention of quickly returning the scrolls and apologizing profusely to her teammate. She knew he hated it when people went through his personal belongings without his permission, and that he was especially protective of his jutsus. It was now, after the fact, that she realized just had foolish it was for her to snitch the scrolls was. They were his written record of jutsus he'd created and could hand down proudly to his children to learn. _Of course _he'd come running to get them back and, had it been anyone other than her, probably would've severely injured the thief who'd taken them.

It was then that she realized that she had probably just lost the trust of a loyal friend.

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After safely returning his scrolls to their tin container, he searched for several hours before finally deciding on a new hiding spot for them. Sakura had really hit a sensitive spot for him. He'd had the feeling that they were poorly hidden for some time but had neglected to find a new spot in favor of training and his missions. That wasn't the case anymore. Now he just needed to blow off some serious steam pressure.

He stood on the bank of the river again. Tied securely to his back was his new gourd, filled to the rim with water. Going carefully through the handseals, he began to channel chakra into the water in the gourd.

Reaching the final seal, the jutsu activated and a small Suiryuudan erupted from the gourd on his back. The sudden movement and unexpected downward shove knocked the blonde flat on his butt. The smaller than usual Suiryuudan fell apart with the sudden lack of focus.

Tenderly rubbing his abused muscle, Naruto pulled the gourd from his back to examine how much water remained. An empty, almost dry, gourd stared back up at him. Picking it up, he went back to the river to refill it. As he did so, he mentally went through what had just occurred. Aside from the lurch at activation, the jutsu had worked perfectly. His guess was right; he could use small amounts of water to perform this jutsu. Even from the most bizarre places.

This would most definitely be an advantage for him against Neji. He knew the Hyuuga would probably see straight through the gourd with his Byakugan, just to know if the blonde was trying to conceal so new, hidden weapon. All he'd see was water. He'd probably realize why Naruto was lugging around such a large gourd of the liquid, but not which suiton jutsu he'd use. It went without saying that the Suiryuudan could only be a one-time use, and the starting move to boot. But as long as he gained the upper hand early on, he was willing to take the risk.

If Neji attacked before he could finish the seals, then he'd just have to discard the gourd and proceed to the fight back. Then again, maybe he should just discard it from the start. That way if Neji made a fast attack, he would be able to react; going through twenty-eight handseals took time, no matter how quickly he could do them.

The solution to controlling the lurch was easily solved. For his second experiment he simply crouched down, resting the base of the gourd on the ground for support. Running a little faster through the handseals, launched the jutsu again. This time, it worked perfectly. A faint smile graced his lips as he watched the dragon land in the river.

Now that he knew how to control that, he would need to memorize the handseal sequence. He wanted the handseals to come to him as easily the handseals for Kaze Kiwa or Kage Bunshin or his multiple others.

Dropping the gourd to the ground, he walked resolutely out onto the river. He didn't know how long he was performing the handseals, but when he suddenly sensed the presence of Ero-Sannin he couldn't help but to feel relieved.

"I see you've seemed to have mastered the use of that Suiton jutsu after all," Jiraiya said, trying to sound as though he'd known the kid could do it all along. "Good job."

"What do you want, Ero-Sannin?" Naruto asked, not turning from his latest sequence. "I'm busy right now--Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

After the newest dragon rose up, then crashed back into the river, the man spoke again. "I know that your strong, Naruto-kun," Jiraiya said, his voice indifferent. "But you still haven't realized just how great your true potential is."

Glancing back at the man, Naruto looked quizzically at him. "What's that suppose to mean? I'm still just a kid! How could I 'realize how great my true potential is'?"

"You may be kid," Jiraiya admitted, waving his hand to side, like swatting at the boy's ignorance. "But you're also a demon host."

Whatever Naruto had planned to say was abruptly silenced as he realized just what the pervert was saying. It did make some sense. He was very powerful now, but he was _deadly _when he'd been under Kyuubi's charka's influence. It had spurred him into a whole new level of speed, strength, and chakra capacity. But then he remembered that each time it happened, he'd been having very powerful surges of anger, rage.

"Why would I want that potential if I go berserk while using it?" he asked after a moment of thoughtful silence.

"That is why you learn to _control _the chakra," the old pervert said, being almost uncharacteristically patient with the blonde. "I can understand a little of what it must be like. But the more you exercise in its use, the easier it will become, I'd wager."

"And just how would I go about summoning the kitsune-teme's youki?" Naruto demanded. He really didn't want to do this, since it meant that he'd have to rely on the bastard fox that had so effortlessly ruined his life. But then he rationalized that inevitably some of his future enemies might just be too strong for even he to handle alone.

"You could try meditation practices," it was here that that annoying grin the man usually wore broke out. "have you ever tried those before?"

"Uh…" the blonde couldn't help but to be sheepish. "I've practiced molding chakra for years now…"

The grin widened slightly at that answer. "Molding chakra and meditation are two very different things, Naruto. Molding chakra depends on turning stamina into chakra and cycling it throughout the body to where it is needed most. Meditating is concentrating on calming your mind, centering yourself if you will, and sensing where that stamina comes from when you reach the epitome of spiritual tranquility."

"Ha," Naruto snorted at the man's attitude. "And just how often do _you _meditate, oh wise one?"

This time it was Jiraiya's turn to look a little sheepish. But then that passed quickly enough as he answered, "Quite often, actually."

"Peeping doesn't count, Ero-Sannin," Naruto growled. Before the man had time to retort, Naruto held up a hand to silence him. "I'll try it, sensei. But only to learn to use it, not depend on it."

"That's just fine," Jiraiya answered, nodding his acceptance.

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That was how he spent the last two days before the finals. He stayed locked in his room, futilely trying to meditate. Try as he might, he just couldn't do it. He was an active person. Naruto was designed to always be on the move, so it was rather painful to remain indoors for all hours of the day.

In the morning before the fateful day, after feasting on the remainder of his instant ramen, Naruto finally gave up. It was as he was out buying groceries that he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He was being watched.

The cold, almost bloodthirsty, killer intent was very apparent to him. The subtle way the presence followed his every move showed the person's desire for his death. Naruto's instincts were yelling at him to be careful. This person that followed him would most likely not care who got between him and his prey, so long as he completed what he wanted. The fact that the presence was slowly growing stronger hinted at the owner's increasing bloodlust for the blonde.

He knew that the person was going to confront him. But it wouldn't do for it to happen in the middle of the street, with his hands full nonetheless. Naruto needed to take this to a safer location, just in case the situation got out of control. It was with this in mind that he made a beeline for the forest.

Stopping after they were a mile into the woodland, he turned sharply to where he could sense the person. It was only after a moment that the person revealed himself to be Sabaku no Gaara. _Guess I should've known_, he realized. _He's the only one I know of who's _that _insane_.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked, trying to hide his nervousness. That look he was giving him was…strange.

"Your blood," Gaara said quietly. It could've been a genjutsu, or even his imagination, but the maniac look seemed to have his eyes _glowing_.

"Heh," Naruto couldn't suppress the foxy grin if his life depended on it. Just what was this kid talking about? "Yeah, well, not if I can help it. If that's all you wanted, you could've just waited until tomorrow to tell me."

Naruto almost missed the very small frown that flashed across the Suna-nin's face. That wasn't the response Gaara had been hoping for. He wanted to scare the blonde, that way it would be even more enjoyable when he finally crushed him. His sand was going to feed very well the next day on the Uchiha and Uzumaki, at least if he had any say in the matter. And Mother was getting very anxious for it.

"Besides," Naruto continued, crossing his arms behind his head while grinning. "I won't make it that easy for you."

Gaara was quiet for a moment. Then, when he lifted his cold gaze to the blonde's, Naruto felt his grin slipping. Not for the first time he couldn't help but to realize that there was something wrong about this boy. But what the boy said completely wiped the fading grin off his face.

"I will kill you," the boy's gaze, if possible, grew even colder. "and Mother will feast on your blood tomorrow."

As Gaara explained his past to Naruto, the blonde felt a growing pity and familiarity with the boy. He had been used to contain some kind of demon or monster or something of great power as well. But what truly saddened and shocked him was the fact that his _father _had done it _willingly _at the expense of his wife's life. _What kind of parent could do that to their own child_? This thought kept circling through his mind as Gaara finished.

"Your father did that to you?" he said in a voice barely above a whisper. "What…a twisted man. Didn't he love his wife, or you?"

"Love…?" Gaara said, just as quietly. "Hn, don't judge me by your pitiful standards. I know only desire, hatred, and fear. I know no love for anyone in this world… Nor should you, Uzumaki?"

Naruto had to ask, "If you have no love for anyone, then why do you still live? To live without love would not be a life worth living."

Closing his eyes, Gaara was silent for a moment. If he'd been a more open person, he might've let out a small sigh. "There is only one person I love in this world…myself. I fight only for myself and love only myself… But you are mistaken; a life without a _purpose _is truly not worth living."

"A purpose?" Naruto said slowly, his gaze narrowing. Based on the boy's attitude, he could almost see where this was going. No…he _knew _where this was going.

"I once asked myself 'why do I exist?'" Gaara said, watching Naruto carefully. "and I had no answer then. But I do now… After my father decided I was too powerful to control, he has since tried to assassinate me numerous times. That was when I was given a purpose. 'I exist to kill all humans, other than myself.' That is how I found a purpose in all the fear."

Naruto's gaze didn't leave Gaara's. He stared back unblinkingly into the red-head's pale green eyes. This boy was indeed very much like himself. Naruto knew that he'd most likely been shunned by the people for what he had inside him. It was painfully obvious from the look in his eyes. That must have been one of the reasons for him come to such a decision as to love only himself. He had not been able to experience how great it was to give love to someone, and receive it in return like Naruto had been able to. Because of his seclusion, he could only end up loving only himself since he didn't know any better.

For a second, Naruto had to wonder what he'd have done had he been betrayed. What would he have thought if the Sandaime ordered his death? What would he have done if Iruka-sensei had tried to kill him once he had befriended him? What would he have done if Kakashi-sensei had tried to murder him while they were away in Wave Country? These thoughts were too awful to think about. But he knew that such things happened to Gaara, probably much too frequently as well.

"As long as there people for me to kill," the Suna-nin continued. "I will have a purpose to exist."

It was then that Gaara's gaze turned truly maniacal as he looked upon the boy he so much more desired to kill than the Uchiha. This boy was different from any other he had ever come across before. Surely because of what he could instinctively feel trapped inside the blonde; the fear and anger and most definitely the sadness, he had been shunned and attacked himself. He was so much like himself in essence, and yet he was completely different from him in character and desires. It would be an absolute _pleasure _to kill him. And the battle between them would no doubt be of _epic _proportions.

"And you are one of those people," Gaara stated as a small amount of his tenant's youki flared up, trying to force the boy into submission.

He didn't know exactly what was happening. The Suna-nin's chakra had sudden leapt up to great heights as he focused it into an intense murderous intent. The sheer potency of the intent rivaled, if not surpassed, that of that Oto-nin in the Forest of Death. It was trying to scare him, force him to flee, and admit that Gaara was the superior of them.

Then something happened inside him. Just as he was about to break under the intense pressure, he remembered all the times he'd seen Iruka-sensei give him an honest smile of happiness when they talked over ramen. He remembered bittersweet times he'd spent with Team Seven. He remembered the horribly embarrassed blush on Hinata-chan's face when she got caught staring at him in the first exam. These people, no matter how his opinions may have changed, had been the first ones to accept him. The knowledge that he'd been accepted lit a fire inside him that suddenly granted him the strength to facedown the Suna-nin in front of him.

Gaara blinked as he caught the change in the blonde's eye. The Shukaku's youki didn't seem to be having anymore effect on him.

Though outwardly, Gaara's face had merely returned to its usual blank mask. He stared at the blonde for a moment, almost expecting to see him tense up for a fight. But Naruto just stood there with that deadly look in his eyes. That look disappeared quickly after he recognized the withdraw of Gaara's intent.

"When we fight," Gaara said, no emotion slipping through his mask of indifference as he turned away. "I will kill you."

Underneath his mask, Gaara was thrashing in anticipation for the next day. That would be his most glorious day ever, whether he lived or died didn't matter. He'd find a higher purpose or he'd find peace in death, but he'd benefit either way.

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It was very early in the morning. The sun had just peaked over the horizon actually. Many people were still sleeping fitfully in their comfortable beds, dreaming their pointless fantasies. Yet, he'd been awake for almost two hours.

He stood in the forest near his family home, yet outside the range their Byakugan. In the silence of the woods, he trained. Today was the day of his matches before he was assigned the rank of Chuunin. He'd reviewed everything he'd ever learned of the contestants he might and did have to fight.

To be honest with himself, he was far from being concerned with the fighters in the second bracket. They were formidable, to be sure, but he'd already seen how they fought and was less than impressed. It wouldn't surprise him too greatly if that Suna girl ended up being his final opponent. No, his main concern was the three other boys in his bracket.

Gaara's sand would prove tricky to handle, but it was undoubtedly controlled by his chakra. All he would need to do was avoid being caught in the sand long enough to get close and close his tenketsu; no amount of armor (chakra or otherwise) had ever been able to withstand the Jyuuken in known history.

The Uchiha had left him only briefly nervous. Since he hadn't been able to witness how he'd fought due to the Yamanaka's well-founded fear, he had been forced to degrade himself into researching the boy. Uchiha Sasuke was known for his taijutsu and ninjutsu skills, and there were rumors of him developing an unrivaled speed. He was most definitely the one he wanted to fight, for Neji was quite fast as well. Neji was almost assured of his victory over the Uchiha, since taijutsu was his greatest strength as well. The fact that his taijutsu was the best in Konoha was a nice bonus.

The final boy, and his first opponent, shouldn't have even been allowed to enter the exam in the first place. He knew that the blonde had exceptional, at best, stealth skills. He would need them to be able to sneak into the Hyuuga compound like he did months ago. He flinched at that embarrassing and hateful memory.

Though that day had been one of very few since the formation of the Hyuuga Branch Family that the _entire _clan had been completely united, it had also been one of the most terrifying of days. No one had ever seen Hiashi-sama in such a fury before. And, after Naruto's punishment had been sentenced, the man had promptly turned it upon the Branch Family. He had more than _tripled _the nightly watch to ensure the blonde, or anyone else, could ever sneak inside again and to punish the Branch family for getting lax in their duties.

Growling, Neji closed off that memory. Now was not the time to reminisce, but to find the most punishing way to make the dobe realize his insignificance and worthlessness in this world. Though, he belatedly admitted, reminiscing did help to fuel his desire.

Aside from his stealth, what else did he know about him? As he tried to remember, he slowly realized that this was what had given him such a drive to train. He didn't know any solid facts about the blonde, only rumors and those two fights he'd seen. The boy had some sort of strange chakra inside him, he could create a haze of chakra around his body to blur his image, used some kind of smokescreen jutsu, Kage Bunshin, and a pair of fuuton jutsus; four of the said jutsus he'd never heard of before.

The rumors were many, and many were undoubtedly untrue. That he'd created over twenty jutsus after going on one mission. That he'd had a jutsu that could defeat even a Kage. That he was really just a misunderstood genius. That he was being trained by the sensei of Konoha's greatest Hokage to date. Surely such wild rumors were merely lies that the baka had started spreading, possibly in hopes of eventually intimidating him.

At that thought, Neji couldn't help but to grin viciously. If that was true, then he was going to be sorely disappointed. But there was one thing that all the rumors agreed on: no one really knew much about the blonde for, despite his loud mouth, he kept much about himself to himself.

Well, despite what others might believe, Neji knew he was gonna win. From the intelligence that he did gather successfully, he knew that Naruto exhibited no real talent for speed until he'd used that red chakra. As long as the blonde didn't bring that chakra out, he would never be able to stand up to Neji. Not that Neji would let him. He just needed to close his tenketsu, which should be rather simple with his superior speed. And there was the fact that using the chakra seemed to leave him completely exhausted afterwards.

Yet, Neji was a genius and that was why he refused to enter any fight without having at least some sort of advantage. Which led to him being out in the forest at this ungodly hour, fine tuning his greatest triumph over the Main Family.

"I thought I would find you here," a familiar feminine voice said softly.

Opening his eyes, Neji glanced up at Tenten from his sitting position. She stood only a few meters away with a kind smile on her face. Though he didn't show it, Neji was silently fuming that he had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't sensed her presence earlier.

"Need help?" she asked, her smile never wavering.

After a moment's consideration, he nodded.

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The sun was quite high in the sky when the blonde enigma finally awoke.

He had had a very strange conversation with the demon inside him shortly after he'd fallen asleep. At the time, Naruto had been attempting some last minute meditation exercises but, as usual, had fallen asleep.

Well, to anyone else he seemed to have. But to Naruto, it wasn't so. He'd been sitting on his bed one minute trying to find his center. The next minute he was caught off guard when a loud and angry roar sounded out from somewhere nearby. What he saw when he opened his eyes was a very swampy cavern with numerous thick vines running along the length of the ceiling. Inside the center of the cavern was a large cage of some sort that he could feel a familiar presence residing, and thus he was drawn inevitably closer to it.

Once the demon had revealed itself to him, after trying to grab him to eat him nonetheless, Naruto knew for sure where he was. Naruto had every intention of giving the fox a piece of his mind but the kitsune had other plans. It had started to give Naruto it's own opinion on him. Then it started threatening him for using its chakra without its permission on several occasions.

Naruto's response?

"_Like I wanted your help!_" he had yelled. "_I'm not a weakling, you know!_"

This apparently amused the kitsune to no end. The fox's laughter was the last thing he heard before he'd been ejected from the realm and woke up to find that it was already eight o'clock in the morning.

As he sat there in bed, he ignored the memories of the fox as he focused on what he was going to do today. He was going to humiliate the Hyuuga-teme, and hopefully beat Gaara, while teaching both boys a lesson in caring for your fellow man. Or in Neji-teme's case, woman.

Yet there was the fact that Neji was an acknowledged genius with Konoha's best taijutsu style under his belt. His Byakugan was powerful enough to see to the nearly invisible tenketsu and he was probably more skilled than Sasuke when it came to strategy.

Gaara was literally a darker version of himself. The boy had no inhibitions to killing anyone. He was clearly feared by everyone in his own village, even his own brother and sister. He had a self confidence in his own skills that mirrored Naruto's. It was for these reasons he was positive that Gaara would beat Sasuke.

Could he really face-off against these two pinnacles of power and skill? And one after another to boot? Neji's skill was enough that he was sure he was going to be sufficiently drained of a fair portion of his chakra. And he was positive that he would need all of his stamina to even stand up to Gaara. Was this Exam too high a demand on him that he could even survive until the finals?

Thoughts similar to these rolled over each other in his mind as he mechanically began getting ready for his day. After a small meal, he slipped into his patented orange pants and jacket, and securely tied his headband into place. But it was as he was heading for the doorway that he bumped into a foreign object.

Glancing down in surprise, he saw a very large gourd resting in front of the doorway. Recognition flashed across his face before he hastily took off of his jacket. Replacing the jacket with an a black, long-sleeved sweater that had a block of orange around the back and sides. Looking at himself in the mirror, he grinned cheekily. His doubtful thoughts temporarily forgotten. It was due to his inspection that he realized something was missing from his new attire: his crest on the left sleeve.

Removing the crest and sewing it onto the sleeve took longer than he thought it would. But he was silently pleased with the results, and the fact that he was sure not many other boys his age _could _sew.

With a length of rope, he strapped the gourd to his back. It felt awkward to him to be carrying it and he had to wonder how Gaara could put up with always carrying his own like that. This thought returned him to his previous mind frame. Because of how awkward it made him feel, even without the water inside it, he promised himself that he wouldn't use the gourd again after this exam, win or lose.

Now he just needed some water and he'd be damned if he let anyone see him like this before he got to the arena. Using a double henge, something he'd never attempted before, he left his home and ran for the river in the training fields.

It was as he was passing by a very familiar trio of logs and monument that he spotted her. She had her back turned to him, seemingly staring into space. Her usual gray sweater was gone, replaced with a light blue shirt. The sleeves were just long enough to pass her elbows but even so he was still able to spot the bandages on her forearms.

Seeing her still partially wrapped up like a living mummy left a strange, unsettling feeling in his stomach. He didn't dwell on the emotion he was feeling though. He needed water, but maybe he should talk to her first. Just to make sure she was really okay.

"Hinata-chan?" he said loudly, causing the girl to flinch. "Feeling any better? What are you doing here?"

Almost faster than the eye could follow, the shy girl was hiding slightly behind the closest log post with a bright blush on her cheeks.

"N-Naruto-kun?" she stuttered out in her surprise. "Wh-What are you doing here? Aren't the F-Finals today?"

"Yeah," he said evenly. "I just had to get something and…this is where I became a genin after all."

"O-Oh, wow." She didn't know that! "B…but what…?"

"Oh, nothing really important," he said, hating himself for not telling her the truth. "It doesn't really matter anyway."

"Y…You're right," she said sadly as her gaze dropped. "Gomen…"

Sighing slightly, Naruto dropped his gaze too. After a moment, he looked back up to see her watching at him. Her gaze instantly shifted as her saddened look returned. Hm, maybe he should do something about that…

"Hinata-chan," he said, after being hit by sudden inspiration. "…Neji's really strong, isn't he?"

"Y…yeah," she said, curious to why he was asking the obvious.

"But he's your cousin, though, right?" he asked, his mask firmly in place. _Come on…Say it, Hinata-chan_…

"Yeah," she said, her gaze dropping again as the memories returned. She couldn't help but to fear that Naruto-kun's next question was going to be: 'why aren't you?' But she certainly wasn't expecting what he said instead.

He nodded seriously, intentionally drawing her stare. A growing foxy grin was moving up his face as he said, "No wonder why you're strong! You really surprised me that day. I swear you were like a juggernaut!"

The blush that lit up her face could've been mistaken for a second sun had she been on a mountain. Embarrassment of epic proportions rose inside her and she found she could no longer look directly at him, suddenly feeling more at ease with hiding entirely behind the log. Naruto just continued to grin happily since he'd been able to get such an honest (if predictable) reaction from her.

After a short silence, Hinata spoke up again from behind the log, "I-I really have y-you to thank for that, N-Naruto-k-kun." It was thanks to her Byakugan alone, which she activated out of curiosity of his reaction, that she saw his questioning stare through the henges. It slightly surprised her that he had changed his favorite attire. And what was that on his back? "I feel like I've become…stronger, somehow and…I'm starting to like myself a little bit more."

Naruto just continued to grin. "Well, that's a good thing hear, Hinata-chan!"

Finally gathering the courage, she peaked a single eye out to stare at him. She watched as he rubbed his neck again for a moment. Then something that she'd rarely seen anymore happened. He slowly lowered his gaze, as well as his hand, and his mask crumbled to the ground before her eyes.

What she saw was the Naruto she'd only seen on a few occasions. The solemn side of him that would appear when he was safely alone in the forest and, usually, he'd failed to do a simple training exercise due to his lack of help. The fact that the mask had slipped off in front of her now gave her an overwhelming desire to rush over and embrace him, repeatedly telling him he was safe with her, that she'd always be there for him.

"Do you really think that highly of my opinion, Hinata-chan?" he asked in a surprisingly serious voice. He waited for a moment in case she answered but she didn't, so he continued. "…I might seem strong to you but…that's because I've been fooling everyone for years into thinking that I'm some sort of…_idiot _that is too stupid to realize that no matter how hard I try, I'll…_never _be able to become Hokage…I always screw up _everything_, eventually…I guess…it's just a matter of time if I _do _become a Kage that I'd…mess that up _too_."

"That's not _true_!" Hinata-chan said, slightly louder than he'd ever heard her speak before. He gave her his full attention as she stepped out fully from behind the post. "Yes, you do make mistakes, Naruto-kun, but so does everyone else…It proves that you're one of us…that you're only human. But because you can still stand up and keep trying until you get it right…makes you a _very _strong person in my eyes."

Finally it seemed that she'd lost her nerve. Her eyes widened suddenly, as if realizing that she'd just lectured her Naruto-kun, and she quickly hid behind the post again, raising her index fingers to twiddle in her embarrassment. But not without adding one last phrase. "Because that's what I think…true strength really is."

Something kind of hybrid to adoration, respect, and happiness rose up in Naruto at hearing her comforting and encouraging words. She was right, he realized. He was Uzumaki Naruto; the Number 1 Most Surprising Shinobi of Konoha and the enigma of Team Seven. That kind of reputation could only be attained by the very kind of person that Hinata had just described. Realization gave way to his usual confidence and a fair dash of real happiness.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan," he said, grinning so widely he had to close his eyes from the effort. "Earlier I was feeling a little worried, but now I feel ready to kick Neji-teme's ass!"

He smiled brightly at her. It was then that he suddenly remembered his original purpose for coming to this area. He still had to get water and get to the arena. Turning he began to walk away but stopped when he felt a sudden, unexplainable urge to say one last thing.

"Hinata-chan," he said, turning back to her as she met his eyes. "I'd always thought of you as a…"

He gleefully left her hanging for a moment before continuing. "A dark, timid, and weird person."

As he turned away, Hinata's shoulders slumped as all her confidence and hopes died. But Naruto wasn't done yet. "But you know what?"

Now he was really happy that he'd turned his back on her. For as he spoke the last half of the sentence, his face started to involuntarily grow very hot, though he was confused as to why and what caused it to do that.

"That's what I like about you."

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The arena was even bigger than the one they fought in for the Preliminaries. But that didn't surprise Naruto too much, especially since this arena included nearly enough seats for half of the Konoha population. He waited impatiently for the rest of the participants, but mostly just the spectators, to arrive. He was the fourth to arrive, just after Gaara and his siblings with Neji not too far behind.

Once he had taken his spot in arena, Naruto dropped his double henge. This drew a number of surprised stares from those who witnessed it. But the only stare he could feel was actually a glare from Gaara, obviously for copying his style with a gourd on the back. Naruto merely grinned like his old self at the boy before removing the dead weight from his shoulders.

Growing bored, he began to quickly run through everything he was planning to do to handle Neji. A lot of his plan was touch-and-go, trying to figure out what of his worked and what didn't. But he was dearly hoping with all his being that his Oboro no Jutsu would at least have _some _kind of effect. It would greatly aid his fight against Neji. And if the absolute worst came to pass, he now had the most powerful of all demon's youki at his disposal.

Movement up in the Kage Stand drew his attention. He watched interestedly as the Kazekage arrived. _So that's the teme who'd done such a horrible thing to Gaara_. He silently swore to himself that the bastard was going to pay for such a deed, and to his own son most importantly.

After what seemed like a ridiculously long wait, the Sandaime Hokage finally rose to announce the beginning of the exam. It was then that he realized that someone very important was still not present.

Sasuke.

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Whew! That was a long chapter! 10,570 words on little more than eighteen pages to be exact. The longest chapter to date, actually. So you all had _better _appreciate it!

I bet I caught a fair number of you by surprise. You all seemed to believe that I was just going to jump straight into the finals, didn't you? So sorry to disappoint you (_not! _), but these last few scenes were just too good to pass up. Not to mention everyone else jumps over these scenes, don't they?

And to clear up what everyone seems to think: I didn't a clue that Naruto's chakra alignment was with wind until sometime after I'd introduced my fuuton jutsus and you guys told me so! It was all just a coincidence, albeit a _very _satisfying one :P

Next chapter is Naruto vs. Neji (finally, eh?). And like his fight in the prelims, I guarantee that it is going to be at least ninety percent different, and hopefully one hundred percent better than the manga/anime.

For those of you who care to know, the idea of Naruto standing up unflinchingly against Gaara was Moshulel's, I just added in the youki.

Also, I've noticed that a lot of you have finally begun questioning when we'll be seeing Naruto's ultra-super-top-secret jutsu from the Forbidden Scroll. We'll finally see it in the next few chapters. But just a warning: because of the nature of it, it will probably only appear in this story at least **_TWO _**times total. You'll understand why when you finally see it, I promise.

My Newest Jutsu

**Kibou Te no Jutsu**/_Trick Hand_-- An accidental hybrid jutsu of Jyuuken and Rasengan, it possesses the major qualities of both its 'parent jutsus.' It is capable of attacking a person's inner coils by shoving so much of the user's chakra into them that the coils are temporarily paralyzed until the chakra fades. And because of the Rasengan's distinctive spinning motion that has been added to its forceful entry of the enemy's body, any muscle or organ that has the misfortune of being in its path will get torn. If enough chakra is applied, it could easily reduce a person's organs to mush. But it requires a precise amount of chakra and control to use, and will easily fail should the user's attention shift in even the slightest bit.


	20. Pride

**(Author's Note)** This chapter is dedicated to Sect. This is because of the fact that of the 120 or so reviews I've gotten, he/she was actually the first to truly see 'underneath the underneath.' Good job on that! J  
**(Author's Note 2) **If there was a small piece in the last chapter that upset you, then here's your one and only warning: Be prepared to be _extremely _pissed off by the end of this chapter. And don't yell at me about it! I have my reasons for it.

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 20—Pride

Veins bulging, Neji peered closely at the blonde that stood before him. The boy's eyes were those of a person with absolute confidence and faith in his own abilities. There was no sign of doubt in those bright blue eyes at all. And, judging from the slight frown that slipped through his mask, the boy was probably going to do his best to _give _more than he got.

Neji smirked as he connected the dots. The only thing that he found even more enjoyable than training his Byakugan and Jyuuken abilities was bringing self-assured and overconfident shinobi to their knees before him. It was actually a very common pastime of the Hyuuga clan members.

And for some reason, bringing this particular boy to his knees seemed especially enticing. Neji slid smoothly into the basic Jyuuken stance, patiently awaiting the blonde to make his move.

Up in the stands, Sakura watched her only present teammate. She was quite worried about both her teammates. Sasuke hadn't been seen for nearly the entire month, no contact with Kakashi, and Naruto still seemed to resent what he'd caught her doing. In fact, Naruto had totally avoided her since that incident with his scrolls. But she was sure he'd get over his anger soon enough, despite how much of what he'd said tore at her. That boy was a real and unpredictable mystery.

If she'd be honest with herself, she almost didn't recognize him when she arrived. It had been years since she'd seen him without that orange jacket. He'd kept it so long that she'd forgotten that he'd once wore something different. The fact that he'd changed his attire today mystified her. Though she had to grudgingly admit that it made him seem a little more mature, appearance-wise at least.

The gourd on the ground near him was also a new addition that was a total mystery to her. For one crazy moment she'd even imagined that he'd somehow copied the jutsus that that Gaara kid had used with sand and was now carrying around his own stash. But she quickly rejected that idea. If there was one thing that she'd come to learn about the _real _Naruto, it was that he preferred to create his own version of a jutsu rather than copy it.

So it was with barely restrained interest that she watched this fight. Maybe he'd show just how powerful he truly was. Ino had said that he'd been 'quite powerful' against Kiba. He could only have gotten stronger since then.

Would he use any of those jutsus he'd created? She was very excited to see this 'Kaze Kiwa' that she'd briefly read over. If it weren't for the fact that most of his jutsus required high amounts of chakra to activate and maintain, Sakura would've loved to be able to learn them. But, then again, that would _guarantee _that her…association with him was forever crippled.

* * *

Seeing that his opponent didn't seem to be moving at the moment, Naruto adjusted his position with a large foxy grin. He dropped down to one knee, bringing the heel of his outstretched foot to rest firmly on the gourd, as he began the long sequence of handseals. 

Neji watched with interest as the blonde did two things at once. He was channeling a precise amount of chakra into the gourd and the handseals simultaneously. Thanks to his Byakugan, he could see the water inside the gourd rapidly becoming supercharged. It was beginning to collect, forming some kind of shape underneath the surface.

A self-preservation instinct screamed to life. _Don't let him finish it! _For some reason, Neji complied, one of the few times he ever did nowadays. Snatching a handful of shuriken, the Hyuuga cast them as fast and hard as he could at the blonde.

Rather than try to dodge, Naruto remained in his position and continued to form the seals. As the weapons converged on him, he quickly estimated their trajectories. Due to his haste, Neji had neglected to properly aim. These shuriken were meant to scare or distract.

However, one was on target.

The crowd was on the edges of their seats as they watched. The brat wasn't moving! What was with that? Some of the more hateful of them hoped gleefully that the shuriken would severely injury, if not kill, Naruto. But they were all caught by surprise as the enigma suddenly jerked his head slightly to the side and caught the one shuriken between his teeth.

He _caught _it with his _teeth_!

Using Neji's dumbfounded stare to his advantage, Naruto finished the last seal. "Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" he called out around the weapon.

The roar of the small water dragon was the only sound that filled the arena for a moment. Neji, though surprised at the high level jutsu, easily dodged it. Throwing more shuriken at his opponent, he watched as Naruto stood up. Seeing the incoming projectiles, Naruto brought his foot around to reveal that the gourd was still attached and used it as a shield. He waited for the shuriken to impact the gourd before letting it go and sending it flying away to the side.

Snatching the shuriken from his mouth, Naruto cast it back to its owner. He quickly followed it, forming a familiar cross-seal as he ran. Five Narutos suddenly joined his charge, spreading out to attack from different angles.

Just as they were nearly upon him, all of them formed the tori seal. "Oboro no Jutsu!" Swallowing their fear of this not working, they leapt headlong at the Hyuuga. Neji, for his part, was suddenly confused and, grudgingly, worried.

His sight of the blonde had suddenly changed. He could still see the blondes perfectly through the thick clouds of chakra. But where he could see the needle-thin tenketsu spots covering them before, he could no longer. There was too much other chakra in the air surrounding them, too dense for his superior eyes to see through!

This really hit a sore spot him. He'd always prided himself for his eyes. Now this boy, a worthless dobe nonetheless, had somehow found a way to take that away from him! He was going to _pay!_

His eyes narrowed dangerously as he suddenly struck back at the attacking blonde. Moving as fast as he could push himself, he ruthlessly pummeled the closest blonde. Through his Byakugan, he saw two others suddenly jump forward to aid their counterpart. With a sharp jab of his finger into the blonde's chest, it was destroyed easily.

Springing up and back, he used the blonde's heads to push himself over them while driving them into the ground. Spinning around in midair, he kicked out and caught two more approaching blondes in their faces. They were destroyed instantly, but he wasn't paying attention to them; the first two had recovered and were charging again.

Because he was still slightly suspended in the air, he curled into a ball and caught himself on his hands. With a powerful push off the ground, he sent another pair of kicks out and caught both of them in their abdomens. They burst into smoke instantly.

Landing easily, he faced the last blonde. Naruto stood a few paces away, watching coolly as his bunshins were destroyed. It would seem he'd not overestimated Neji's talents. But he was willing to bet that the boy hadn't used the Jyuuken yet. He was probably planning on saving his chakra for the real Naruto and the next few matches.

* * *

Shikamaru, for his part, couldn't help to feel a little worried. Naruto was skilled, no question, and used his own jutsus in increasingly creative ways that more times than not won the battle for him. But Neji wasn't called the greatest Hyuuga genius in a century for nothing. He had just demonstrated a fraction of that genius and skill by his simple disposal of bunshins. If Naruto didn't think quickly on his feet, he knew that Neji was probably gonna win this quickly. 

Kiba watched with his jaw hanging open loosely. It was only now that he realized just how fortunate he was to have been defeated in the preliminaries. If that was him down there, he'd probably be popping a soldier pill into his mouth at this time. Neji seemed to have a speed that was faster than his own, which was one of Kiba's biggest strengths in battle.

Despite his contemplations of how he'd be fairing down there, he couldn't resist the urge to glance at Hinata. She was a little more aware of her surroundings, considering how he'd found her at the training grounds. Even though her face was still very red as she watched Naruto, he didn't miss the small smile on her face. Feeling somehow relieved, he returned his attention to the fighters.

* * *

Smirking at the boy's annoyed and slightly angry expression, he said, "You want to become Hokage, right? Heh, not with a pitiful skill level like that." 

Naruto didn't respond. He merely let his Oboro slip away in favor of conserving his own chakra. Seeing this, Neji forcefully resisted the urge to sigh. It was much more fitting for a genius to be able to use greatest strength to his heart's desire, in his opinion. Besides, all that excessive chakra Naruto was expelling was slightly distracting.

"Do you know that everything is decided when a person is born?" he asked, his smirk lessening slightly as he was reminded of his own misfortunes. "That you are only as talented as the family you were born into?"

The blonde's eyes narrowed as his grin turned into a slight frown.

"You have no talent," Neji said, regaining his full smirk again. "As your life up until now has proven, time and again."

Now Naruto's narrowed gaze turned into a deadly glare.

"Look at the facts, Uzumaki," the Hyuuga continued. "Only a handful of shinobi are chosen as Hokage. And those that have become Hokage were born into the destiny, that is the only way."

"You what to know something, Neji-_san_?" Naruto said finally. "Have you _ever _heard of a time when I've followed the rules?" The next moment a swarm of Kage Bunshins popped into existence. They rushed forward as the real one shouted, "I'll live my _own _life! So don't you _dare _tell me how to!"

Neji was ready for them. But he wasn't ready for the sheer amount of defensive fighting they did. Two or three would attack at once, but when he'd move to destroy one, another would suddenly appear and yank his target safely aside as a second would take its place. He had fought against multiple enemies before, but never against this many.

Growling at them, he watched as they completely surrounded him. There were too many for him to simply jump over them all. They had him completely cut off, and they knew it. Receiving some silent command, nearly the whole swarm suddenly attacked.

But when the closest two struck him, they saw a thin shell of chakra form around him. His smirk grew wider slightly as he suddenly put on a spin, becoming faster and faster. A sphere of chakra formed that sent the attacking blondes flying. Naruto was among the ones to be thrown back.

Picking himself up, he stared in surprise and awe as he watched Neji slow down. The sphere vanished as he came to a halt. Naruto shook his head to snap himself from his surprise. _So that was his trump card_, he realized. _…Okay, what's its weakness_?

"That's pretty cool," Naruto admitted as he climbed to his feet. "But I'm going to break it!"

"Break it, eh?" Neji repeated, his sneer growing. "Impossible, that is the Hyuuga clan's greatest defense. The Kaiten is perfect."

Closing his eyes, Naruto calmed his nerves forcefully. This would require quick thinking and even quicker reflexes if he was going to beat him. And he knew he had to break that jutsu! It was the first step to humiliating Neji.

"Time for a test run," he muttered to himself as he formed a dozen clones.

The blondes rushed forward and surrounded Neji. The Hyuuga realized what the boy was trying do, see the Kaiten in action again. Well, why not? After all, it wouldn't hurt to flaunt his genius skills a little in front of Hiashi-sama would it? So, with this attitude, he repeated the jutsu again as the blondes rushed forward to attack.

All the blondes were destroyed as they were thrown back except one. Turning his fall into an exaggerated handspring, Naruto went flipping backwards away from Neji. He didn't even stop when he reached the wall of the arena, just continued to climb up. Once he was safely several dozen meters off the ground, he skidded to a stop.

Neji watched in interest as the blonde looked down at him. What was he doing? Was he planning on starting some sort of new jutsu from that great height? If that was so, he snatched a few kunai in preparation to throw. But what he wasn't prepared for was what the blonde did instead.

Naruto merely sat down on the wall as though he were sitting on the ground. Crossing his legs, he propped his elbow up on his knee as he rested his chin in the palm of the same arm. He nodded his head, as though entering deep thought.

Neji just stared at him in dumb disbelief. Then his anger ignited. The blonde had the nerve to just run away to think while they were in the middle of a serious match? Ooh, he was going to pay for that! He threw the kunai with as much force as he could muster.

The blonde didn't twitch. As the deadly knives neared his face, his arm suddenly shot up and caught the three kunai by the loops of the hilts. The kunai halted instantly, barely an inch from his unmoving face. Carelessly dropping the weapons to the ground, Naruto finally looked up with a glare.

"What's your problem!" he yelled, very irritated at having his thoughts interrupted. "I'm trying to think here! Wait your turn, teme!" And just like that, he returned to his position. Neji just blinked, caught slightly off guard.

Okay, you're slightly better than I gave you credit for.

In Naruto's mind was a replay of Neji engaging and maintaining his 'Kaiten.' This would be tricky he realized. The jutsu easily lived up to Neji's boasts as being as close to perfect as was possible. But there was flaw in it, he just knew. There was _always _a flaw in _every _jutsu.

The first thing that came to his mind was the fact that the Kaiten obviously required high amounts of chakra. But he ignored the idea of forcing Neji to fall from chakra exhaustion. Instead he focused on what he knew for sure.

Neji seemed to need to stay on the ground, just to be able to spin at those speeds. It would be very difficult to do so in the air. But it seemed that because he was spinning at such high speeds, he had been able to wrap all that chakra into that sphere shape.

But if that was true, why didn't he get carried into the air as well? That answer came quickly. Like his Kaze Wana, the Kaiten user must have to glue himself to the ground with chakra. While this guaranteed that he'd be anchored at the spot, the spinning chakra was also ensured to work.

Then he found himself remembering the Kaiten itself. It seemed to be thicker around the equator than the top, probably due to the spinning nature of the chakra. That would mean the weak spot was at the top, where the thinnest layer must be. But how could he break through it?

_Kaze Kiwa!_ he realized._ But I need to make sure it spins the same direction as Neji, or it probably won't work._ The mental image of two shuriken spinning in opposite directions while trying to merge into each other's rotation came to mind. In short, it wouldn't work._ Which direction did Neji start spinning again?_

Now how to force him to use it again? Naruto was willing to bet that he wasn't going to keep using it just because he wanted the Hyuuga to. No, he would need a very good reason to use it. That left Kage Bunshin as his only opinion. Maybe a little incentive to help the Hyuuga's decision wouldn't hurt.

All this went through Naruto's mind in less than a minute. Suddenly lifting his face, Naruto turned cold, calculating eyes down on Neji. The look didn't go unnoticed as Naruto pulled himself into a kneeling position. Neji tensed, expecting anything.

"Hey, Neji!" Naruto called out loudly. "If you apologize for hurting Hinata-chan, I promise I will put flowers on your grave! It would be more than you deserve!"

Meanwhile, Hinata squeaked when she heard Naruto call out her name. She instantly tried to bury herself into her seat, unsuccessfully unfortunately. Kiba and the few other shinobi that were nearby that noticed all wore small smirks at the girl's embarrassment.

Something inside Neji snapped slightly. There was no way in all seven hells that he was going to do such a thing! Hinata had it coming! Since it had been her fault that his father had to be killed, just so Hiashi-sama could live and Kumogakure couldn't get the Byakugan!

"Hinata-chan is a very _kind _and _good _person!" Naruto yelled, making sure that everyone could hear him. "_She didn't deserve what you did to her, teme!_"

Neji's glare intensified. "Shut up, Uzumaki!"

"Wrong answer!" Naruto yelled back. "Say 'good-bye' to your _pride_, Hyuuga-teme!"

Eight Kage Bunshin suddenly joined Naruto up on the wall, all wearing the same furious glare. Forming a line, they crouched down similar to Naruto. Then, simultaneously, all nine blondes shot through four handseals before lowering their hands towards the wall. Neji watched as chakra began spinning around the blondes' arms at high speeds.

_Is that the Kaze Kiwa?_ Sakura couldn't help but to question herself silently. If what she'd read about it was true, then Naruto must either be desperate or he had some kind of plan ready. But what?

At first it didn't impress Neji too much. He'd seen this jutsu before in the forest. It was merely air that was charged by the chakra that was circling his arm. Though it had come in handy at deflecting that air blast at the time, it probably couldn't do much more than that. He was sure of it.

But that thought died in his mind as he watched the blondes suddenly start sprinting down the wall at a surprisingly fast pace. But what really drew his attention was the nine parallel lines of destruction engraved into the wall that followed them.

Naruto was purposely showing off his jutsu to Neji. He felt that he probably wouldn't realize just how dangerous the Kaze Kiwa was without a little demonstration. Therefore, the nine Narutos carelessly drug their arms into the wall and then the dirt as they leapt away from it.

As they were sprinting unyieldingly towards him, Neji realized that he was in serious trouble. There was no way he could dodge all those jutsus if they attacked at the same time. There was only one move he could do that could save him. And as they quickly approached, he began to gather his chakra fast.

With his Byakugan active, he watched through the haze of his chakra as eight of the blondes slammed their arms into the walls of his Kaiten. Predictably, they thrown back and destroyed. Since he was still in mid-rotation of the Kaiten, he could do nothing but watch as the last Naruto descended from the air with his arm outstretched ahead of him.

All noise in the audience seemed to be ground to a halt as they watched the blonde fall towards the Hyuuga's perfect defense. The only noise was a battle cry from the attacking boy who didn't falter in the slightest. Even as he reached the very top of the sphere.

Naruto's outstretched arm hit the sphere. At first, for what seemed an eternity, nothing happened. Then gravity began to work its magic. It pulled Naruto's body downward, forcing his spinning chakra to merge into Neji's. The sudden mergence allowed Naruto's arm to pierce the outer shell and enter the Kaiten. His arm passed through as far as his elbow before the rest of his body hit the Kaiten.

The Kaiten immediately tried to fling Naruto away. But as it did, the chakra of his arm was suddenly turned and the once merged spinning mass was now battling for supremacy. The result was Naruto being thrown almost twenty meters away as the two clashing chakra let out a brief explosive shockwave. The Kaiten was violently blown open as though it were a balloon with too much air. With a loss of balance, Neji was sent tumbling a short way away.

The audience was stock-still, not a sound disturbed the eerie silence. Then, slowly whispering began to circulate. Everyone was trying to understand how this was possible. How could the demon brat pierce the perfect defense?

To this day, no one really knows who said it first. But one thing was for sure; by the end of the battle between the Hyuuga prodigy and Uzumaki enigma, the Kaze Kiwa had earned an official nickname. Since they didn't know the jutsu's true name, they called it the Tatewaru, or the Shieldbreaker.

Ignorant of his jutsu suddenly gaining celebrity status, Naruto sat up. He gingerly cradled his stabbing arm. The clashing chakra had left red hot chakra burns and it felt as though it had been crushed under several tons. _Note to self, NEVER do that again_.

* * *

Up in the stands, Hinata suddenly felt a sharp pain stab itself through her. Blood welled up and sent her into a small coughing fit. Covering her mouth with one hand, she reached for the tonic that was stored in her breast pocket. Forcing down another fit of coughing, she took a very small sip of the fluid. 

As it worked its way down her throat, she could instantly feel it starting to take effect. After a few moments, the pain gradually dulled and then vanished all together. While she was thankful for this, she also knew that she'd be unable to use her chakra or Byakugan for at least several days now.

She'd discovered the tonic on her bedside table when she'd been woken up by a nurse who was muttering curses about the 'demon brat' several days ago. That and the fact that she easily recognized Naruto's scrawled handwriting, she knew who'd left it behind. The fact that he'd taken the time to visit her long enough to give her this very powerful, if potentially dangerous, medicine had her blushing up a storm.

She hadn't taken it then, believing that she was almost fully healed. But apparently she was mistaken. Now, according to Naruto's warnings, she would be unable to do much of anything for a while. That was a small price to pay to get healed though.

She truly had to thank him for this very kind gesture.

* * *

Movement from Neji and his fast healing arm drew his attention away. Pushing himself up, then quickly climbing to his feet, Neji faced Naruto with the worst glare he'd ever seen on a Hyuuga before. The fact that Neji's face was partially covered in blood and deep cuts only added to it. 

Naruto stared in surprise at his handiwork. He didn't think he'd penetrated _that _deep! The Hyuuga's left temple had a long, if shallow, curving slash that had a fair amount of blood seeping out. Long scratches and scrapes circled his face, even the leaf symbol on his headband was barely distinguishable from the near-chiseled out scratches. His hair was disheveled and had been cut short; it was less than a third as long as it had been, hanging just shy of his shoulders.

It would've been a drop-dead hilarious sight had he not been wearing that glare with his active Byakugan.

_I think I'm_ very _big trouble,_ he realized submissively

Sliding into a disturbingly familiar stance, Neji said almost too calmly, "You're going to pay for that."

Naruto's eyes widened as he recognized the precursor stance of the Hakke Rokujuuyon Sho. It was instinct alone that had him start forming the seven seals for his Kibou Te. He needed to stop Neji from closing his tenketsu!

Neji, despite the utter disbelief, anger, and a growing humiliation, focused his chakra into his fingertips as he made ready to dash forward. This blonde had just officially become the most hated person in his life. Neji had finally been able to flaunt his skills to Konoha as a whole, even if it was against an opponent who didn't deserve the honor. Then the kid turns around and defeats the Kaiten with less than a few minutes of studying it! He had not only blemished Neji's pride, but also the Hyuuga clan's honor!

What was left of his pride began to return. While this wasn't the Kaiten by a long shot, the Hakke Rokujuuyon Sho had over a ninety percent success rate. Simply because there were few people who could move fast enough to avoid it. But if it did land, the battle was over. Plain and simple.

And Neji _never _missed!

Rushing forward with the Hakke's signature twirling of the body to confuse the victim, Neji wasted little time in getting up into Naruto's face. The blonde had been busy rushing through handseals, but it was too late!

Just as he was bringing up his hands to jab the boy in his tenketsu, Naruto halted the handseals. His hands, encased in a bright blue glow, intercepted Neji's, catching them. A pain erupted from inside his wrists and he saw a large amount of Naruto's chakra enter his arms.

But Naruto wasn't done yet. He jerked Neji's arm out of the way, clearing the path to his face. Or so Neji thought. Instead, Naruto planted a foot on his chest, channeling chakra into his body to stick to him. Releasing Neji's arms, Naruto bounded up and over his head faster than the Hyuuga could react. It was only thanks to his Byakugan that he could see Naruto go into a somersault as he passed over him, swinging his legs down toward Neji's unprotected back. This time Neji did react in time by diving forward.

Facing Naruto, he slid back into his Jyuuken stance automatically. It due to this motion that he saw just why his wrists were stinging so badly. Naruto's chakra had imbedded itself into his inner coils, cutting off its flow. Not only that but the charka's passage through his muscle tissues left long tears. He recognized these symptoms instantly. They were a bit crude, but what else could they be?

"Uzumaki," he growled, returning his gaze on the blonde as the chakra in his hands disappeared. "Who taught you the Jyuuken?"

Huffing indignantly, Naruto glared at the Hyuuga. "Please! I wouldn't shame myself to learn a taijutsu form from some stick up clan! That was the Chakra Scalpels, only altered a bit."

_A bit?_ Neji just couldn't help to question in his mind.

"I call it the Kibou Te no Jutsu," the blonde continued. "Do you like it? You better because it's a _pain in the ass _to use and maintain."

At seeing Neji's glare intensify, Naruto's cheerful eyes grew cold. This guy just didn't know when to quit, granted neither did he. But this was going to take forever if he didn't pull something drastic out of his bag of surprises. Neji's endurance was beyond what he thought it was and, surprisingly, Naruto was being to feel a little tired as well. He'd need something big to put the Hyuuga down for sure, but not kill. So that instantly ruled out whatever desire he had to use the Rasengan, plus he wanted to use that jutsu on an enemy for its first time usage. He'd need something a bit more…artful, but direct.

Then inspiration hit him. It would be tricky if he didn't time it perfectly. There was also the high chance that Neji would see him before he could get close enough. But the fact that he seemed to have been especially irritated when he'd used his Oboro earlier was a slightly soothing thought.

"Alright, that's it," Naruto said, as he prepared to form another swarm of Kage Bunshins. "Time to end this. And personally, I'd almost hate to be you right now. This is what you get for hurting my friend!"

A line of twenty Kage Bunshins suddenly appeared next to Naruto. Forming the Oboro, they all rushed forward. Neji prepared for another all-out taijutsu battle but he was quite surprised when not a single of the Narutos attacked him. They merely formed a reasonably tight circle around him, running as fast as they could around him.

Neji growled dangerously at them. He knew what it was they were doing. The blonde must've figured out that Neji wouldn't be able to see too well what was happening outside the circle. This was because of the number of blondes circling him and the ridiculous amounts of chakra that was pouring out of them. It effectively blinded him. Rather than get trampled by the blondes by rushing forward to break their circle, he began throwing kunai and shuriken every which way. But all the projectiles were easily blocked.

Stopping to consider what the blonde was up to, Neji considered jumping into the air. But there was no telling what was happening on the other side of the Great Kage Bunshin Wall. If he jumped up, he could quite easily become a kunai pincushion.

It was decided for him when he saw over fifty Kage Bunshin leap into the air over the circle. Once they locked on to him, they sent a vicious hail of shuriken down on him. Despite the fact that it had been quite bluntly proven as not being as absolute as it was said to be, Neji instantly powered up a Kaiten and reflected the shuriken away from him. The numerous projectiles even had the bonus of destroying nearly all of the Kage Bunshin that were running around him.

Spinning to a quick stop, Neji smirked up at the bunshins that were still suspended in the air. Now things were beginning to look up for him. He could clearly see that the amount of chakra that had been used in those bunshins was a fair amount less than the many earlier ones. That could only mean that this stubborn dobe was finally running out of steam. He was going to win this for sure!

"Is that it?" he demanded snidely.

"As if!" a muffled voice shouted from startlingly nearby.

Neji had only enough time to look down in surprise. Erupting from underneath the ground was a fast approaching fist with a clump of blonde hair under it. It was too close for him to dodge, even if he hadn't been frozen from shock. The punch to his jaw sent him flying high into the air, up among the bunshins. But he was too focused on his pain and the loud cry that Naruto had yelled as the punch connected. "U!"

"Z!" a kick sent him flying to the side. "U!" a punch to gut sent him upward. "M!" another punch. "A!" a kick to the chest. "K!" another kick shot him back into the midst of the swarm. "I!" a punch to his face. "K!" knee to the stomach. "Y!" a double handed punch to the back. "O!" a kick to the side of his abdomen. "K!" a kick the other side of his abdomen. "U!" a punch to the jaw sent him flying backwards. "D!" a kick to his back sent him straight up. "O!" an elbow to his gut had him holding in half.

Having lost focus on his Byakugan shortly after this strange and painful experience began, Neji didn't see the Naruto above him until he shouted out, "Rendan!" and a powerful double footed kick to his back sent him plummeting to earth.

As they landed, the bunshins disappeared, having served their purpose. Naruto, the last one to land, felt his knees collapse from under him slightly. Dropping down to the ground, he panted for a moment. Then, slowly, he regained some of his stamina. Pushing himself back up, he glanced over at Neji. The Hyuuga remained where he landed. But if it hadn't been for slight rise and fall of his chest, Naruto might've believed that he'd killed him. Yet it seemed like it had been a good thing that he'd toned down the strength he'd used in those blows though.

Neji hadn't thought that Naruto would use an aerial attack like that to distract him so much. Even going out of his way to make that ring of clones to prevent him from spotting this, literal, underhanded tactic. He had thought out and anticipated several steps of the fight farther than he had!

"How…" Neji asked quietly as Naruto slowly approached. "How can you…a person with…no significance…in this world be…so strong?"

Naruto just looked quietly down at the boy at his feet. When he answered, his eyes conveyed a seriousness that could not have possibly been carried over or recreated by his voice. "I don't want people to live my life for me… Besides if I submitted to _my _'destiny,' I would be dead…There are only a few people who'd care if I died and those people mean more to me than my dream."

Neji stared at him impassively. What did this mean? Even though he was well aware of what his destiny was suppose to be, he fought against it because of his desire to acquire his dream. But before he'd go after his dream, he'd protect those he cared about with everything he had to offer and more? Was that what he was trying to say?

"…and you hurt one of my _most _precious of people, Neji-san."

Naruto turned to leave but hesitated. Turning back, he reached into his weapons' pouch and pulled out…a small bottle? Ignoring Neji's questioning gaze, Naruto carefully placed the bottle down next to him as he said, "This is a healing tonic. But be extremely careful when you use it; no training and no chakra if you want to be healed."

With that, Naruto promptly turned and left. The incredulous roar of the crowd almost passed his attention as he replayed the fight in his mind. Did everything work out as he'd hoped it would? He'd just have to wait to find out later.

It was then that he finally remembered where he was and exactly who was watching him. True excitement and happiness bubbled up inside of him as his energy seemed to be magically recharged by all the attention. He began enthusiastically waving at the audience while bouncing about with plenty of energy to spare.

* * *

Though her face was fair bit red, Hinata smiled happily at Naruto's success and his antics. The expression on his face was honest, he was happy that he won. She loved to see him without his mask. 

Sakura felt something inside her awaken. It was a desire that she'd slowly come to feel get stronger over the past few weeks. It started during her training in Wave, strengthened after the bridge and forest battles, and only now did she realize what it was. She wanted to get stronger, like Sasuke-kun and Naruto. And after watching Naruto win against an incredible opponent, that resolve increased. As well as slight amount of jealousy.

Ino, despite being once again surprised by the blonde, noticed her best friend's quiet attitude. It struck her as strange; shouldn't she be cheering for Naruto's victory? And that expression on her face was also peculiar, almost that of resigned longing.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" she asked, barely heard over the cheers.

"Nothing!" Sakura answered, too quickly for it to be anything but nothing.

Shikamaru had to support himself on the railing. Naruto had just beat the pride of the Hyuuga in more ways than one. He'd not only pierced the legendary Kaiten, he'd developed a jutsu similar to the Jyuuken apparently, knew yet another Jounin jutsu, and had an even more deadly Rendan in his arsenal. Naruto was even better than he thought he was.

_Maybe I should seriously consider withdrawing after all,_ he realized

Sandaime couldn't suppress the small grin on his face. While he had an idea of what the boy's activities were during the month of training, he wasn't quite surprised to find Naruto knowing another Jounin jutsu.

Beside him, the Kazekage was staring at the blonde with a peculiar gaze. As if trying to figure out if he was to be impressed or worried by the boy.

Kabuto just chuckled. That boy, though surprising, wasn't nearly as good as he thought himself to be. Sasuke-kun was much better; he was an Uchiha after all.

Hyuuga Hanabi had never seen a match like this before. She'd been kept mostly inside the Hyuuga compound when not in the academy. Thus she wasn't used to seeing another type of fighting style besides the Jyuuken and the basics. Yet she knew the significance of the Kaiten being overwhelmed.

She stared at the blonde with angry eyes. That was the baka that her sister seemed to fancy so much? Hanabi had never met or seen the boy before, so she'd tried to reserve her opinion of him. But the rumors she'd always heard were that he was an idiot orphan with no talent to be a shinobi. Yet what she'd just seen forced her to reconsider. Maybe her sister was correct for taking such a liking to him…

It was as this thought was fluttering through her mind that she'd noticed her father standing up. He had a peculiar look on his face as he walked away towards the infirmary. Hanabi shrugged, and returned to waiting for the next match. She wasn't worried with some random teki-nin trying to capture her due the Branch member that was sitting not too far away from her in disguise.

* * *

After nearly ten minutes of waiting, an announcement was made. Naruto, when he stopped to consider it, wasn't too surprised that Sasuke would be receiving special attention. He was the last Uchiha after all, thus indescribably special to the people of Konoha. He needed to be given everything he wanted, or what they could at least. Well, that was what his jealousy was telling him. 

Gaara didn't seem to care to that his match had been postponed. At least to the casual viewer, but Naruto could see irritation behind that cold mask. The boy wanted to kill and it seemed that having his match put off was making him extremely twitchy.

Despite his resentment of this, Naruto let out a sigh of relief. That meant that he may still get his chance to see Sasuke in action. Not fight him, since he was sure Gaara was gonna win.

A foxy grin crossed his face at hearing Shikamaru start complaining. That was so like him, lazy as hell. But if he tried to look at it from a different angle, he'd realize that the sooner his match happened, the longer time he'd be given to relax.

* * *

"And now," Genma called out. "The next match Kankuro and Aburame Shino! Come on down!" 

Kankuro was pissed. This match wasn't even suppose to happen! Yet, they couldn't do anything until Gaara and Sasuke were in position. That would mean he'd have to fight, just to give that Sasuke-teme time to get here! But at the same time, he didn't want to reveal the 'special surprises' that were planted in the Karasu puppet before the operation began.

Temari and Kankuro shared a glance. They already knew what he had to do. As much as both of them hated it.

"…I forfeit!" he called down to Genma. This drew surprised stares from Naruto and Shikamaru, well more like a resentful glare from the Nara actually. Shino made outward reaction, aside from a small glance at this opponent.

Scowling disgustedly, Temari whipped out her fan. Riding the winds she'd generated, she drifted gracefully down to arena floor. It was almost as though she was riding the waves of the ocean on a surfboard, but much more elegantly.

Genma grinned at her impatience. As she stood up and closed the fan in one movement, he said, "Looks like your eager." Glancing up at the Nara boy, he called out. "Shikamaru! Get down here!"

As the Nara was questioning the unchangeable events and unfairness of the cosmos, Naruto decided to give the boy a little 'helpful motivation.' Though not the literal 'motivation' that happened.

"Alright!" the blonde cheered, shoving the Nara in the shoulder roughly. "Go for it, Shika!"

Unprepared for the rough movement from behind, Shikamaru lost his balance and tumbled over the edge. Temari, and a fair amount of the audience, couldn't help but to wince unconsciously as she watched the boy fall and land solidly on his back.

Due to the fact that she didn't see any twisted limbs or blood, Temari could tell he was fine. He just sat, staring up the audience. When he glanced back at her, she couldn't miss the slightly disgusted scowl on his face.

"What?" she demanded. "Are you going to give up?"

His scowl only seemed to deepen. Finally losing her patience with the boy, she charged forward, brandishing her fan. Genma's shout for her to stop went completely ignored as she raised the fan over her head to attack.

* * *

If possible, the audience was even more enthralled by the current battle than the last one. Shikamaru's sneaky and mostly unexpected tactics grabbed their attentions instantly. Naruto, even with his pranking genius, found it slightly difficult to predict the boy's strategy. But to use the hole that he'd dug as a means to get behind Temari and capture her was just plain brilliant. 

And now he was quitting? Many in the audience were left dumbfounded by their surprise. Wasn't this boy just winning? Only those who could sense chakra could understand his reasons for quitting. He was on his last leg in his reserves. Scowling with a slightly disgusted sigh, Naruto leaned heavily on the railing.

Izumo and Kotetsu were quietly evaluating Shikamaru as opposed to Naruto. While both boys showed a proficiency in strategy, Shikamaru far outstretched the Uzumaki. Thus he had a much better chance of becoming a Chuunin.

Then, in a whirlwind of leaves, Kakashi and Sasuke appeared. Naruto had to roll his eyes at the dramatic entrance. It would've been more impressive if _he'd _done it, in his honest opinion.

As he gazed upon the Uchiha for the first time in a month, he saw the new clothing the boy wore too. A slight irritation rose inside him. His rival had decided to change his look as well! That just wasn't fair! But it also looked like he needed a haircut too.

"Hey!" He called down. "It's about _time_ you got here, Sasuke!"

Glancing up at the blonde's voice, Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at the blonde's clothes. "Heh, don't get too worked up, baka," he answered.

Sasuke and Kakashi quietly noted the blonde's disheveled clothing and the absence of the Hyuuga. It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together. Naruto had won the first round, not that it greatly surprised either of the newcomers. Naruto sent a foxy grin down at the boy, as if reading their thoughts. Sasuke answered with his own smirk.

Gaara silently left for the arena, taking the long way. The Suna-nin's action drew Naruto's and Sasuke's attentions for a moment. As much as he was sure Gaara was gonna win, he couldn't help but to hope that Sasuke would surprise him. After all…

"Sasuke!" he yelled down to the arena. Once he was sure that the Uchiha's attention was back on him, he continued, "I wanna fight you, too! _Don't lose!_"

Sasuke scowled slightly at that last statement. It sounded as though Naruto doubted his ability. Narrowing his eyes, he shot a weak glare at the blonde for a moment. But then it passed as a small smirk crept out.

Meanwhile, up in the stands, Lee was discovering what Naruto had felt at the beginning of the Chuunin Exam. Everyone had apparently been awed by Naruto, Neji, and the other contestants. Now they were practically on the edges of their seats just because their precious Uchiha had finally entered the ring. It was as though they automatically thought that he'd somehow surpass the others just because he was an Uchiha.

Yet there was something else he was feeling. Jealousy. He'd been eliminated in the preliminaries by Gaara. Now the Uchiha was set up to fight the boy that had beat him. And Naruto, who was like him, the dead last, had been able to do what he couldn't: beat Neji. It was painful for him to watch others be praised for things he'd been striving for. It was like he was watching them from behind prison bars that was his inability to use ninjutsu or genjutsu.

It hurt him very much.

* * *

Gaara's face twisted from its usual blankness into a bloodthirsty grin. Sasuke's frown deepened as he listened to the chuckles of the disturbed Suna-nin. It was a little unnerving. In his mind, he couldn't help but question if maybe Naruto was right in assuming that he'd lose. From what Kakashi had told him of this boy's skills, he knew it'd be tricky, at best, to win. 

Then he crushed that thought. He was the Uchiha prodigy; he was going to not only win this exam, but _crush _all his opponents!

* * *

Up in the stands, Kakashi had appeared. After reassuring Sakura about the curse seal being safely locked away, he knelt down next to the girl and whispered. "Sakura-san, how did Naruto win?" 

Glancing back at her sensei, she said in a low voice, "He used this jutsu everyone's calling Tatewaru and pierced Neji's Kaiten. Then he used a new Rendan to beat him up."

"Tatewaru jutsu?" he questioned, his single eye widening in surprise for a moment. "Did it _actually _work?" At the girl's nod, he shook his head, wishing to have been able to see it. "Well, that's Naruto for you."

He stepped back by Gai as he took count of the ANBU present. There were only eight. "Eight ANBU for this arena?" he questioned in a near silent voice.

"We don't know the enemy's plans," Gai said, mirroring his 'eternal rival's' voice. "They may be needed on the outside." Glancing back at the Hatake, Gai said resumed his usual loud voice, "I hear that your other student put on quite a performance. What have you been teaching him?"

"That is a good question," Kakashi answered, his attention shifting down to where the battle was just starting. "I had Ebisu-san teach him. Your guess is as good as mine."

* * *

With a burst of speed, Gaara found the Uchiha suddenly behind him. And because he'd fought against a kid that was just as fast, he found an eerily familiar style of fighting between the Uchiha and that green clad freak. Even the punch that cracked the Suna no Yoroi that had already been on him was every bit as strong as the ones from that Lee kid. 

Once again he was thankful for Mother protecting him, that crash to the ground would've most definitely hurt more than the punch. Looking back at the Uchiha from his kneeling position on the ground, Gaara silently reevaluated his original opinion of this boy's skills. If he had the same speed, then he was going to be just as troublesome to kill as that last kid.

Sasuke stood in a stance that was clearly Lee's favorite but with the added bonus of an arrogant smirk. "Come on," he said, flicking his hand in an invitation.

Gaara, however, didn't move. He just continued to glare at the Uchiha. Quickly losing patience, Sasuke snapped his hands up to form the tori seal. Something akin to fear descended upon Naruto as he saw that.

"If you won't come to me," Sasuke said, an evil smirk forming on his face. "Then I'll come to you!…Oboro no Jutsu!"

Naruto's eyes widened drastically as his jaw fell off in disbelief and horror. He watched as Sasuke dashed for Gaara, covered in his most useful and proud jutsu. The Oboro, combined with Sasuke's newfound speed, left nothing more than a barely recognizable black blur in his place.

The Uchiha darted around the sand wall that made to grab him, rushing around behind, and easily dodged the two columns of sand sent his way. Slipping under and around them, he was in Gaara's face before he could react. With a powerful kick, he sent the Suna-nin flying back.

Slowly closing his mouth, Naruto felt his jaw clutch uncontrollably. His whole body was shaking with an indescribable anger as he desperately tried to understand how the Uchiha had learned his favorite jutsu.

The only times he'd used the Oboro since Sasuke had activated his Sharingan eyes was in the Forest of Death and the preliminaries. But in the forest, he'd made sure to only do it while Sasuke was either out of sight or looking away. In the preliminaries he'd used the one-handed seal so he didn't learn it then either, because Sasuke had used both. Then where…

That thought was abruptly cut off as he remembered a certain silver-haired jounin sensei talking to him on a dock in Wave Country. _But he promised! _But as he watched the Uchiha proudly resume Lee's signature stance with _his _Oboro still active, he couldn't deny the facts. There was no one else who knew it; even if Sakura did, this was probably the first time she'd seen him too.

It was with a barely controlled killer intent that he turned and went in search of his traitorous sensei.

* * *

"Hey? Isn't that the same jutsu that demon brat was using?" 

"Kind of looks like it."

"Do you think the brat taught it to him?"

"The demon brat? Are you kidding? It was probably the Uchiha that created it and taught it to Uzumaki. Though why he'd do that is beyond me."

"Hm, yeah, you're right. That does make more sense."

Similar conversations were circulating the crowd as they watched their proud prodigy once again slip through that Suna-nin's sand. Sakura and anyone else who knew of Naruto secretly creating that jutsu all glared at the villagers.

If what she'd experienced from Naruto was even a clue as to how badly he wanted to keep his jutsus _his_, then she shuddered what would happen when he finally got his hands on Sasuke. And the worst part was that she wasn't sure which side she'd be able to take. Naruto, because that jutsu was _his _and it had been stolen, plus she did owe him an apology. Sasuke, because he was her crush and friend who only wanted to be the very strongest.

"_**KAKASHI!**_" a very loud, _very _angry voice yelled from behind.

As one, everyone in that section of the audience glanced back to see one very pissed off blonde standing at the top of the stairs. Traces of red chakra were randomly circling his body and his glare was positively terrifying. The red eyes added to the effect quite nicely.

The jounin in question merely glanced back at where he felt the tiny amounts of youki. He didn't seem the least bit intimidated by the blonde's temper, which was truly a feat in itself.

"What's up, Naruto?" he asked easily.

_Oh boy,_ was she could think. This was going to get ugly, quickly.

"You promised not to do that!" he growled from his position. Then the next second he was down at Kakashi's side with the man held up threateningly in the air. "You _promised!_"

"That I did," Kakashi said, slightly surprised at Naruto's unexpected speed. But then he reasoned it was the youki's influence in his body that had increased it so much. "But I also promised Sasuke that I'd get him ready to fight Gaara. He needs every advantage he can get."

"BUT NOT _MY JUTSU!_" the blonde yelled, shaking the man slightly.

"Naruto," Kakashi said sternly. "Put me down."

Naruto just continued to glare at the man. Kakashi was starting to get nervous when he saw the boy's whisker marks begin to broaden a bit. After a moment, the blonde said in an icy tone, "Let's take this outside, _sensei_."

And just like that, Naruto set Kakashi down and started dragging the man outside. Kakashi was somewhere between being worried, amused, and irritated by Naruto's reaction. But despite whatever he thought of it, he was quite surprised that he couldn't very easily break the boy's hold on the collar of this flak jacket. Though he was rarely one to complain or worry about his public image, being in this awkward position was one of the times to trigger his pride enough for him to stop it.

There was a moment of silence among the audience that had witnessed the scene. Then, those that didn't care, they turned back to the fight. They couldn't believe that demon brat had the nerve to try to claim credit for this awesome jutsu that was clearly the product of the Uchiha.

The members of the Rookie Nine that were present either glared accusingly at Kakashi or sent confused glances about. No one said anything for a moment as they returned their attention the fight as well.

* * *

_It seems that Naruto is quite serious about this 'chat,'_ Kakashi silently assessed. They had reached a window and Naruto practically threw the man out of it. Jumping out after him, the two landed on the ground a few feet away from each other. Kakashi's gaze was that of his patented stupefied ignorance while Naruto's red eyes could only convey a small portion of the wrath that was inside. 

"You know," Kakashi said unconcernedly. "You're missing out on watching a very good match right?"

"Like I care," the boy growled as his hands began flexing reflexively. "Just tell me one thing, Kakashi-_sensei_. Why the _fuck _did you teach that _bastard MY _jutsu when you _promised NOT_ to!"

"Language, Naruto," Kakashi reprimanded lightly. Ignoring the boy's heated glare, he said, "It was a necessary part of his training--"

"_What type of training could involve my jutsus!_" the fact that Naruto was seeing red had nothing to do with the fact that his eyes _were _red.

"That isn't your concern, Naruto," Kakashi said sternly. "And if you absolutely have to know why I taught it to him--"

"_YES I DO!_"

"--it was to prepare him for his ambition in life."

"What?" Naruto asked, his temper temporarily forgotten.

"His greatest desire is to bring the man who destroyed his clan and family to justice and to avenge their lives," Kakashi said, praying that using the sympathy card would shock Naruto into submission. "That man is extremely powerful and deadly, even for me. If Sasuke were to know the Oboro no Jutsu, it would increase his chances of success dramatically."

Naruto was silently for a moment, no doubt thinking this over. "Fine then," he said quietly. "I won't rip _his _head off…_just YOURS_!"

* * *

Sasuke had retreated up the side of the stadium wall only moments before. Now he held onto what seemed to be a ball of lightning. Sakura couldn't suppress the snort of irony at Sasuke unintentionally copying the same maneuver that Naruto had made, even carving a tenth trench down the side of the wall. But the jutsu that he used was different than that 'Tatewaru' or Kaze Kiwa or whatever-it-was-called jutsu. 

"Hm, so that's why he taught the Uchiha Lee's taijutsu," Gai said in a serious, if quiet, voice as he watched the Uchiha charge the sand sphere with a Chidori in hand.

That struck Lee like a mallet. Even though he vaguely recognized the moves that Sasuke was using, it was hard to tell with the Oboro active. If Gai said that, then that could only mean…

As Lee was once again experiencing emotions similar to Naruto's earlier ones, Sakura said, "What do you mean, Gai-sensei?"

"Kakashi-san seemed to have only taught Sasuke-kun taijutsu over the past month," the man said, his gaze not moving from the said boy. "It seems that it was to increase his speed to the very limits his body could produce, which is a requirement of that jutsu. And with increased stamina comes increased chakra reserves. That would make it easier for him to maintain that 'Oboro no Jutsu' for longer periods of time, as well as making the Chidori significantly more powerful."

As Sasuke plunged the Chidori deep into the sand sphere, Sakura could only wonder. Just how far out-classed was she by Naruto and Sasuke-kun? She decided that it was time to earn her place on their team. After this exam, it was time to buckle down and train even harder than her teammates.

* * *

**(Author's Note)** For the record, I'm well aware of the Chapter 321 of Naruto II. Kakashi knows the Rasengan. So you don't have to go and tell me about it. 

**Sharingan vs. the Oboro no Jutsu**. To me, I've always thought of the Sharingan as a doujutsu that can see chakra (whether internal or external) and because of the distinctive features of it, that is how the Sharingan can copy jutsus (or specifically the handseals) is by memorizing the way the chakra flows into them. When something like the Oboro happens, the user can see the excessive chakra but not what's going on underneath it because its so thick.

**Byakugan vs. the Oboro no Jutsu**. My opinion on the Byakugan is that, like the Sharingan, it can see chakra (internal and external). But where the Sharingan is limited to seeing the general way it flows just to copy the handseals, the Byakugan can see the actual inner coils and tenketsu. I've always believed that the Byakugan is as much like it's name "Evil All-Seeing Eye." So, with this in mind, it probably wouldn't surprise you to learn that Neji will be able to see through the Oboro quite easily. However, due the excessive amount of chakra the Oboro uses, he can no longer see the tenketsu.

I like to try to keep people and their respective abilities somehow equal to one another. It isn't very realistic for there to be a single jutsu that can overwhelm nearly all others. Besides, what if everyone who didn't have a bloodline limit knew the Oboro and it was invincible? Then the need for bloodline limits would probably dwindle and/or lead to a major war.

Realistically speaking, that is what I'd think happen. That is why I try to limit a jutsu's abilities as much as possible.

**My New Jutsu**

**Uzumaki Kyokudo Rendan**--_Uzumaki Extreme Barrage/_ This is an advanced version of the standard Naruto Rendan. While there are countless ways of beginning it, it can only be done properly if there is a large swarm of Kage Bunshins already in the air when it starts. The fact that many of the blows target the victim while he/she is still helpless from the previous attack makes it especially deadly. This jutsu was inspired by Rock Lee when he'd opened his Celestial Gates and was knocking Sabaku no Gaara about through the air. But it is considerably safer to the user than Lee's version, as long as the user has enough chakra to maintain the bunshins.


	21. A Reason to Fight

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 21—A Reason to Fight_

_It's time,_ Kabuto decided. The genjutsu he was using was relatively simple, but with the area that he had to cover made it fairly difficult to utilize.

Only the hidden Oto, Suna, and Konoha-nins in the audience that were expecting such a thing were prepared for it. Everyone else, including most of the Rookie Nine, failed to realize what was happening to them. All they were aware of was their eyelids growing heavy and sleep consuming them.

Up in the Kage Stand, both of them immediately noticed the genjutsu taking affect. Almost simultaneously both slowly turned to gaze at one another. He was sure of the other man's intentions. But Sarutobi still clung to a hope that the Kazekage wasn't a part of the attack.

But that small hope was crushed the second the man's bodyguards leapt to his side. With a sneering voice, he said, "Shall we…?" before a bomb erupted in the heart of the stand.

* * *

Naruto had been dashing forward with his fist raised high and prepared to strike. Every nerve in his body was geared towards pummeling Kakashi so hard that his great-grandchildren would be cringing in pain (if he decided to let the man keep _those _pieces of his anatomy). 

But then again, there was that annoying side of his brain that informed him of his inevitable defeat. The man wasn't a Jounin for nothing after all. It was with an annoyed sigh, Kakashi watched his student rush him.

Then the explosion reached their ears.

Caught by surprise, Naruto faltered in his attack. In that moment of hesitation, he suddenly realized that maybe he should stop and find out what was happening. Besides, there was an exam taking place and that made this temper-tantrum as pointless as it was childish. And his village came first!

Kakashi didn't need any further prompting before he snatched the boy's arm and twirled him into an awkward position face first onto the ground.

Ignoring the boy's yells, he faced the arena. Inside he could feel various chakra signatures flaring to life as muffled shouts began drifting out. Even inside the village, they could hear sounds of fighting. There was even a gigantic crashing sound with the distinctive voices of giant snakes in the distance.

"Let me go!" the furious blonde yelled from his position.

"Shut up, Naruto," Kakashi said harshly, returning his gaze to his student. "Now is not the time for one of your temper-tantrums; we're at war."

"_And yet you're wasting time here, Hatake-SENSEI!_" Naruto snapped back as he redoubled his efforts.

Before he could reply, Kakashi spotted movement up on the arena wall top. It was the Suna trio, though Temari and Kankuro seemed to be having to support Gaara for some reason. Kakashi watched them fleeing the village for a moment before a familiar black figure appeared and gave chase after them.

"Naruto," Kakashi said, in the same serious voice. "Go and help Sasuke capture those three."

"Give me one _very _good reason why I should do a _thing _you tell me to!" Naruto shouted as he blue eyes began to take on a violet hue. Despite his anger, he couldn't help but to glance in the direction of the fleeing chakra signatures he just sensed. One of them had a very strange feel about it.

"Because you are a Genin and I'm your Jounin senior," Kakashi snapped back, fully sick of the blonde's attitude.

Naruto didn't answer for a moment, but his eyes did return their normal blue. His glare didn't wane as he spat, "You're not off the hook yet, Hatake-kokuzoku."

Sighing resignedly, Kakashi let the boy up and watched him go sprinting after the fleeing nin and their stalker. Turning, he sprung up towards the window they'd use to exit the building. As he were speeding towards the arena, a trio of blurs came rushing at him.

* * *

Sakura watched in horror as the various Chuunins, Jounins, and ANBU from Konoha, Suna, and Oto all fought a vicious battle among the stands of the audience. 

It was pure chaos. The Konoha-nins were outnumbered one to two because they had to fight both Suna and Oto-nins. If they were lucky enough to survive one battle, they would be immediately faced with another with no time to recover. Of course, the Oto-nin numbers were the only true advantage they had when compared to the quality of the Konoha and Suna shinobi.

At first, she'd felt herself lucky that she'd deflected the genjutsu. But now she dearly wished that she'd let it consume her. That way she wouldn't have to face this madness later in her nightmares.

A rough hand descended on her, causing her to flinch. But she was relieved beyond coherent thought that the hand only belonged to her sensei. He had flecks of blood splayed out across his mask and uniform with his Sharingan eye exposed.

"Sakura-san," he said quietly, so as to not attract any of the combatants' attentions. "I have a mission for you. Naruto and Sasuke have after those Suna genins. Take Shikamaru and follow them."

* * *

They had actually gotten a surprisingly great amount of distance between them and Konoha. They had almost even began to believe that they had escaped. However, the black-clothed Uchiha from earlier in front of them proved them wrong. 

For a moment, the two sides just stared at one another. Then Kankuro handed the unconscious Gaara off to Temari. Removing his bandaged puppet from his back, he said, "Temari, take Gaara and go."

She didn't need any further prompting. But she did spare Kankuro one last glance before running off. Sasuke glanced at her but Kankuro quickly grabbed his attention as he continued in a resigned voice. "Guess there's no helping it…I'll be your opponent."

Before either could even ready themselves, another voice spoke up. "No…! I'll be your opponent!"

Standing on the limb of another tree was Aburame Shino. Sasuke was a little unnerved to realize that he hadn't been able to sense the boy's approach, though he didn't show it. Kankuro didn't such good control, so he couldn't help but to mutter in disgust.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Shino said before Sasuke could question him. "You go after Gaara and finish your match with him."

Without a word, Sasuke leapt away instantly, leaving the two combatants to start their fight.

* * *

"Well, well," said a voice with an air of confidence and arrogance. "What do we have here?" 

"Looks like a little genin too far from home," sneered another Oto-nin.

Naruto glared at the eight Oto-nin that surrounded him. If he had to take a guess, they were all lower to average Chuunin level and probably some kind of patrol. The fact that he'd let them sneak up on him unintentionally really stroked his anger.

"Step aside, ladies," he said, trying to control his anger. "I wouldn't want to hurt one of your pretty little heads."

"What?" snapped one of the Oto-nin. "Why you little--"

"Cool it, Keiko," barked another. "He's just trying to get a rise from us."

"I'd do what he's says," said the blonde's voice from behind the last speaker. "Naruto's in a very bad mood right now."

"A Bunshin?" the Oto-nin said, with a definite sneer after it examined the second blonde quickly. Turning back to Naruto, he said, "Nice try, kid."

Naruto just glared. Then one of the Oto-nin suddenly jerked slightly before collapsing unconscious on the ground. Standing behind the fallen nin was another 'bunshin' with its hand still in the position as though it had given a blow to the shinobi's neck.

He could've easily killed the shinobi but there was the possibility that they might need a few captives for interrogation later. The rest of them didn't truly matter anymore, even though he didn't _really _want to take another's life again any time soon.

"We're serious, guys," called various voices from the surrounding tree canopy. The Oto-nins, greatly surprised that a 'bunshin' had just knocked out one of their own, suddenly realized that they were in a very bad position. Surrounded by a small army of blondes in the center of a small clearing, not a good position at all. "You better listen to Naruto while you still have the chance."

"Too late," Naruto growled as he suddenly launched himself at the distracted Oto-nins.

* * *

He didn't know how. But he knew they were here. He could feel them, like they were some sort of beacons that only he knew were there. They were approaching quickly, finally ready to start their true battle. 

Inside him, Shukaku could also feel their presence and his container's excitement. It excited him as well. Finally there was a pair of enemies that could force its host to release it. Thus giving it the chance to bask once again in the sunlight and blood that it was determined to spill. If it was quick with them, maybe it could rush back to that Konohagakure and massacre the village as well.

Shukaku's bloody ambitions fueled its growing desire to escape quickly. Thrashing mercilessly against Gaara and his steadily weakening resolve, he could feel it beginning. The Uchiha was finally here! He would be a good warm up before the real game began; when his true prey arrived.

Uzumaki.

* * *

Sasuke dropped down to lower limb. As he landed, his face took on his usual unconcerned mask. These Suna-nins had something to do with the fighting back in the arena before they left. He needed to keep them from escaping, even if it meant killing them. Dead or alive, a shinobi was always useful to some degree. 

He watched as Gaara began clutching his head. Then his skin seemed to have begun cracking, like he was suddenly going through a growth spurt and his body could no longer contain it.

"You, that have companions…" Gaara said in a quiet voice that was somehow heard by everyone present. "You, that has an ambition…You, that is like me…" The cracks of his skin were quickly spreading around the right side of his face and body. "Once I kill you…I will be the one to have destroyed all of that…Only then can I survive…" His eyes began to glow a strange yellow color as a killer intent began to leak out. "Only then can I feel _**alive!**_"

Everyone stared as he suddenly dropped to his knees. He right arm was twitching uncontrollably for a moment before it suddenly seemed to grow and contort. It was clear that it was only sand, but the sight of his arm seeming to mutate like that was…scary. And the effect reached up his shoulder and covered half of his face as well, forming some kind of animal. Needless to say that his already great chakra potential seemed to nearly triple in that instant.

_Gaara…? _Sasuke could help to question silently. _Looks like this battle won't end as quickly as I thought…_Then he spotted the yellow eye. It was the same one he'd seen when he'd broke through the Suna-nin's sand sphere. It sent shivers down his spine involuntarily.

Gaara lowered himself into a crouch that reminded him of the time Naruto had been using that red chakra in the forest. If that was true, then…

Before he could even finish that thought, Gaara had leapt up and was in his face with his mutated arm pulled back. Sasuke barely was able to dodge the strike and leap away. The swing also destroyed the tree trunk, causing it to topple over.

Hiding behind another tree, Sasuke held his shoulder gingerly. Somehow, in the time it had taken him to reach this safe spot, it had been clipped by a particularly heavy branch. The throbbing pain could only hint at the damage. With a silent growl of pain, he shoved the dislocated shoulder bones back into place.

"**Are you afraid of me!**" Gaara demanded. "**Uchiha Sasuke!**"

Trying not to fall into the boy's trap, he tried to think up a strategy quickly. If he didn't end this very quickly, that would mean that Gaara could and probably would overwhelm him. His chakra had not only increased in that instant, but also his speed. He was nearly as fast he used to be before the last month of training. How much more could it increase if he continued to mutate into that…creature?

But what Gaara said next broke his concentration.

"**Afraid of my existence?**"

Sasuke couldn't think. The only thing he could do was try to not let his rage build up. If what Kakashi-sensei said was true, then if he allowed himself to fight like that then that damned curse seal would activate and sap his strength.

"**Has your fear overtaken the hatred, the killing urge?**" Gaara continued. He knew what he was doing. It was just a matter of time. "**Is your reason for existence as puny as that?**"

Sasuke climbed to his feet as he made up his mind. If that was how Gaara wanted it, then he was going to get it!

Flashing through the Chidori's handseals as his Sharingan flared to life, Sasuke finally stepped out from behind the tree. He and Gaara dove for each other, both with the clear intention of mutilating the other. Temari watched in mute awe as that strange Raiton jutsu sliced through Gaara's sand like it was nothing more than tissue paper.

Despite having his arm split in two, Gaara landed on a tree and began to chuckle. That chuckle quickly turned into full-blown laughter. The laughter startled everyone slightly. Gaara just had his arm cleaved in two, and he was laughing?

"**I see…**" he muttered. "**…so that was why…the reason why I'm so excited…I JUST GOT THE ANSWER!**"

Sasuke just watched the nin carefully as his red eyes returned to black. Maybe he shouldn't have done that Chidori after all. It had just consumed the better part of his remaining chakra reserves. Now he was beginning to regret his use of both the Oboro _and _the Chidori back in the stadium.

Kakashi's warning had been very clear-cut. If he used the Oboro for longer than six consecutive minutes, his chakra reserves would be depleted enough that he could only use the Chidori effectively only two times. That was if he was at his maximum.

And, despite how excited he'd been to learn the Oboro, he had been quick to realize that the Oboro was more of a hindrance than an advantage. He couldn't use his Sharingan eyes with it active, all that chakra he had to expel clouded his vision. He could still see, just not enough to use it in battle. This also caused him to be unable to utilize his copying ability via the Sharingan.

"**It's the pain…**" Gaara all but whispered as his arm reformed itself. The look he shot Sasuke could only be considered that of murderous joy at finding such a powerful opponent. "**DEFEATING A MAN STRONG ENOUGH TO HURT ME AND UTTERLY DESTROYING HIM…THAT'S WHAT GIVES ME AN EVEN _GREATER _SENSE OF EXISTENCE!**"

Despite himself, Sasuke couldn't help but to smirk. But Temari was on the verge of panic because she was sure that the _real _monster was well on his way out.

And she was right.

"**More! I want MORE!**" Gaara yelled as a large, bulky tail sprouted from his spine. His chakra increased to nearly double what it had already been with the formation of that tail. Sasuke and Temari were staring in surprise and fear.

Hidden in a nearby tree, the newly arrived Naruto now had a thoughtful look on his face. He took in the battle in an instant and quickly realized who the inevitable victor would be. Even so, he could not help but to be surprised by Gaara's transformations.

The more he transformed, the more youki he could sense. He was certain it was youki, having used some of his own tenant's in the past. It was an enormous amount, but he could almost bet that there was still much more in hiding.

Crouching down in that animal pose again, Gaara cried out, "**Here I come!**"

With a burst of speed that now rivaled his own, Gaara launched himself at Sasuke. Realizing that he wouldn't be able to dodge entirely, his Sharingan reactivated instinctively. It was entirely due to that that he only got a scratch from one of Gaara's claws on his arm. Attaching himself to the underside of a tree branch, he watched as the Suna-nin's arm contorted and stretched out. The claws caught on trees and stopped the boy's dive.

Then using his plunge and claws in conjunction, he once again launched himself back at the Uchiha. But this time, Sasuke was ready and quickly shot off a Goukakyuu of considerable size. But it was futile at best. All Gaara did was wrap himself up in his sand for a moment until the fire burnt itself out.

Now Sasuke was really regretting using the Chidori and Oboro back in Konoha. He had reached his limit. Sure, he could still try to form one last Chidori, but he wasn't sure of the consequences. He couldn't do anything more than what he did as Gaara reached him.

Block.

The blow sent him flying. To his surprise, he hit a mass of orange and black that cushioned him as they hit the tree. The cushion didn't last, instead it disappeared in burst of smoke shortly after impact. Sliding away from the trunk, he watched as the real boy suddenly landed near him, cracking his neck experimentally.

"Having fun yet, Sasuke?" Naruto asked with a peculiar tone to his voice while his eyes never left Gaara. "You're at your limit. Stand back and let the real shinobi do the work."

Glaring at the boy for a moment, Sasuke's pride got the better of him. "I don't need your help, Naruto!"

He glanced down at the Uchiha who was still lying on his stomach, looking up at him with disgust. "Really, and you're knocking down trees because this is boring? Or haven't you had your fill of fiber yet?"

Growling dangerously at the blonde, he finally nodded his consent, if reluctantly. "Fine, go ahead, dobe."

"My pleasure," he said, jumping away to a branch a little closer to Gaara.

"**You are not my prey at this time, Uzumaki,**" Gaara growled as a dangerous killer intent flared up. "**UCHIHA IS!**"

Before Naruto could react, Gaara had launched himself at Sasuke again. Seeing this and that he was still too weak to truly fight back, Sasuke merely rolled off the branch he was on. A smirk grew on his face as he watched Gaara destroy the branch while glaring furiously at him.

"Gotcha!" a familiar voice said as strong arms caught him. "…again."

As Naruto landed on another branch, Sasuke shoved him roughly away from him. "Stop saving me! I can take care of myself!"

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun!" a feminine voice cried from somewhere nearby.

"Sakura?" they said, both looking for her. What was she doing here?

Using their distraction to his advantage, Gaara rushed forward for a third time. This time, neither boy noticed. A feral grin crossed his face as he drew back his arm to take a killing swipe.

Then a flash of pink and red appeared in of them. A girl he vaguely recognized as their third teammate stood in front of them with a kunai at the ready. The split second before he hit her and pinned her to a tree, he saw a memory fragment of the man he'd once considered his only friend. Yashamaru.

The impact with the tree was powerful enough to knock her unconscious. Gaara stood triumphantly over Sasuke and Naruto, but because of the painful memories that came flooding back, he couldn't concentrate on finishing them off. It was thanks to this distraction that they were able to leap away to safety.

"Sakura!" Sasuke called out, surprisingly worried.

Sasuke placed a firm hand on his teammate's shoulder. It would be foolish to rush in there now, Gaara could easily kill her. Especially if Naruto did something rash again. But then again, he was having a tough time restraining himself as well.

Then they saw something change in Gaara's eyes. It wasn't the maddened look of the nin that they had just faced, but the eyes of a sad, isolated child. But that look quickly disappeared and was returned to what it had been.

"**What's the matter?**" he asked, sneering at them. "**Weren't you gonna fight me?**"

Turning his attention to Naruto, Gaara's gaze turned cold, very cold. "**What do they mean to you?**"

Naruto glanced back at Sasuke as he removed his hand. The boy was tired, probably ready for a good, long sleep. Yet this was also the boy that had probably quite willingly learned one of his favorite original jutsus. Here was the boy that mocked him on a daily basis because he was the acknowledged Rookie of the Year, the Uchiha survivor, and for just being plain old Sasuke. He had mocked him even though, back then, both their respective skills had most likely been dead even.

Returning his gaze to Sakura's unconscious form, he saw the girl he suppose to like. But she had betrayed any love he may have had and his trust by taking his jutsu scrolls. Sure, he had never really told her about his secret jutsus, but she must've known that he didn't want anyone else to know them. She had been obsessed with Sasuke since they'd realized that the other sex didn't have 'cooties' and practically worshipped the very ground he stood on.

He hated them, he truly did. But if he left them to die at Gaara's hand, would he be any better? Besides, if he didn't stop the insomniac Suna-nin now, there might not be a Konoha to return to by the end of the day.

"What I feel about them is irrelevant!" he yelled. "Leave them alone or I'll kick your ass!"

Gaara scowled at that. A scowl that was very impressive due to his misshaped face. Then the extended arm that held Sakura suspended to the tree tightened its grip, making her scream even while being unconscious.

Naruto and Sasuke both flinched reflexively as deadly glares lit up their faces. Pakkun and Shikamaru, who had wisely stayed hidden, were the only ones to notice that something was different all of a sudden. Something in the tree canopy above them was moving…

"**Now what?**" Gaara asked. "**Aren't you gonna kick my ass?**"

"Of course!" Naruto yelled. But he didn't move, he didn't have to just yet.

"Fuuton: Kaze Doriru no Jutsu!" multiple voices cried out from above them. As Sasuke, Gaara, and Temari looked up in surprise at the dive-bombing Kage Bunshin blondes, Naruto dashed off and away from Sasuke.

Wrapped around the blondes' bodies was the familiar hurricane of chakra winds of the Kaze Wana. But there was also the Kaze Kiwa spinning violently around his forearm. Rather than the clashing winds contradicting one another, the spinning of the Kaze Wana on their bodies with the help of gravity produced an almost propelling motion. The Kaze Kiwa added to the effect by putting their bodies into a spin, thus helping to increase the speed of the Kaze Wana.

One blonde soared down and cleaved Gaara's still extended arm in two before he could react. Another crushed the tree branch he stood on. The remaining three were aimed directly at him but they were easily deflected by the Suna-nin's tail.

Due to the surprise he'd suffered, Gaara's control of the sand that he'd planned to use to keep that pink-haired girl to the tree disappeared. He watched in contempt and anger as the girl fell limply to the forest floor after he landed on another branch. His attention was returned to Naruto as the boy suddenly stood only a few feet away from he'd landed. Thanks to Naruto's distraction, Gaara didn't notice Sasuke diving for the ground to catch Sakura.

Instead, Gaara focused on bringing out even more of Shukaku's youki. This of course resulted in the left side of upper body transforming. Naruto swallowed the lump of fear that rose inside him as he felt Gaara's power suddenly double once again. He was positive that Gaara now possessed almost a Kage and half of chakra potential, easily more than what he thought he could produce.

* * *

The next five minutes introduced Naruto to just how outclassed he was. Gaara was nearly as resilient as he was and his chakra levels were enormous. Though all the weight of the sand had prevented him from gaining any significant increase in speed, his control over his sand had increased. To the point that there particles floating throughout the air, trying to latch themselves on him and consume him in a coffin of death. 

The only way he was able to keep the sand off of him was by keeping the Kaze Tate activated constantly. Though he was feeding the jutsu just enough to keep the sand away, the toll was becoming a burden when compared to what he delivering to Gaara.

He'd unleashed over twenty Kage Bunshins who were leaping from one tree to another to confuse Gaara. The blondes would take passing stabs and slashes with the Kaze Kiwa. But he was fast to realize that that just wouldn't work, the sand was either able to compact and become harder than steel or instantly repair any damage that had been dealt. He had to tear that armor off so he tried both the Naruto and Kyokudo Rendans, which was only another exercise is futility. Finally starting to feel exhausted and desperate, he employed a technique that he had always refused to use. He stuck a kunai tagged with an explosive note under the boy's tail. The result? Only a badly deformed Gaara-creature, nothing else.

_Nothing's working!_ Naruto realized as he fought to come up with a new plan or more chakra, which ever came first._ But how…? He's strong, I'll give him that…But…this is ridiculous!_ Something _has to work on this guy!_

Finally dropping to his knees involuntarily, his earlier excessive use of chakra in the exam and against the Oto-nins had finally caught up to him. He could barely move. But he was positive that he had more than this! In fact he _knew _he had much more. But there was something…stopping him. Something that was preventing him from being able to reach it. And as he tried to find out what that something was and get around it, his body suffered from its apparent lack of chakra. He could only guess that he was weaker than he was prior to the start of the exam!

Gaara wasn't in much better shape either. All those brutal blows to his body, regenerating his sand body back into it's original shape, and even from futilely trying to ensnare the boy in his sand had drained a large portion of his youki's reserves. If he didn't bring out his full power soon, this insignificant boy was going to beat him!

"Finally had enough, dobe?" Sasuke asked as he dropped down next to the blonde. Though his face was impassive, his dark eyes had a distinctive gleam of jealousy of how much chakra Naruto had acquired.

"No," he groaned. He was sick of losing. He was sick of Sasuke always coming to his rescue, even if it was occasionally in his mind. He was sick of the Uchiha attaining the credit that he'd worked so hard to build so easily. It was time for him to battle and not be overridden by the boy. "I c-can…keep…g-going."

But his body was sending a completely different message. He was almost at his limit. It thought that it couldn't handle much more.

Snorting at the boy's attitude, Sasuke said, "Yeah, sure. And you're eating bark because you're hungry right?"

Naruto didn't bother to retort, just glare.

"Naruto," Sasuke said, his tone was different. Something had changed in it. Enough for the blonde to look at him curiously. "Take Sakura and run away. I can stall him for a while. After that, you watch after her…I don't want to see my friends die."

Friends…?

In his mind flashed memories of times he'd been able to show up the Uchiha in the forest of Wave. The boy had taken it quietly, using the blonde's performance as motivation. Then when he and Naruto protected Sakura and Team Ten from the Oto-nin genin. They had worked together, seamlessly.

_Do you have someone who is important to you?_ The question suddenly rose up inside his mind.

A memory of Iruka-sensei protecting him Mizuki's shuriken rose up. Then of Kakashi telling them that he'd protect them from Zabuza. His own great strength in protecting Sakura from the Oto-genin. Hinata's blush as she ducked behind the training field's post.

When a person has something important to protect, that's when they truly become strong.

Something inside him suddenly changed. It was then that he'd finally realized what it was that had prevented him from reaching his true potential. His own curiosity. He had wanted to test himself against Gaara to see where they stood in comparison to each other. The boy was stronger than the limits he'd unconsciously put on himself.

His ragged body didn't seem to hurt anymore. All he could feel now was an undying urge to protect everyone he loved or acknowledged. They were depending on him to do that. And he would!

Gaara, who'd finally been able to repair his body from the latest assault, was grinning broadly at Naruto. The boy was finally reaching his limits! So he was truly superior to the blonde after all. Now to finish the job.

He stopped from launching himself at the Uzumaki and Uchiha when he saw the blonde suddenly pull himself up to his feet. There was something different about his expression. It was one of pure determination…the same from the preliminaries. If he'd cared to look, he'd have seen the Uchiha was also staring at Naruto in slight surprise.

Silently, Naruto removed the sweater he wore and tossed it aside. Ignoring the Uchiha's widened eyes, Naruto brought his hands up to form the tori seal. No more playing around, no more holding back _at all_. He was going to protect everyone! _**NO MATTER WHAT!**_

**

* * *

(Author's Notes)**

Kokuzoku Traitor

Before you read what I have to say next, please take note that I truly hate to scold my reviewers. So please don't take this coming rant from me too personally.

I can't help but be a little ticked off with a lot of you. When I wrote Chapter 20, I knew that I was going to get a lot of 'kill Kakashi/castrate Sasuke' comments. But come on people! Over 200 reviews with nearly all of them just ranting on different ways for Naruto to suddenly become godlike in power with vengeance in mind. Granted, he's pissed but he's human at the same time.

Well, I'm as much to blame as you guys I guess. I probably do deserve a _fair _portion of the ranting you guys gave me. But I just want to get one thing through: I'm trying to avoid writing another run-of-the-mill 'bashing' fanfic. That is one of the major things I HATE about a lot of fanfics out there. I'm writing out from my imagination and _this is what I see_. So if you want to rant about the unfairness of the story and the events taking place, please go yell at someone else who can give you a lecture on the ways of life.

Now a little treat for all of you...

New Jutsu

**Fuuton: Kaze Doriru no Jutsu**/ _Wind Release: Wind Drill Technique_--Currently it is a combination of the Kaze Wana and Kaze Kiwa jutsus. Naruto made this on a whim of desperation to get Gaara away from Sakura in the forest, it was only to be used as a distraction anyway. But now that he has made it, he will continue to experiment and enhance its effects. It will essentially just become a Kaze Kiwa extended to cover the whole body while Naruto is taking a nosedive at an opponent from a great distance above. The speed of the dive with the cutting power of the Kaze Kiwa makes this a lethal jutsu…_if _it can hit the enemy. If the enemy sees it coming, it is very easy to avoid it. But if he's taken by surprise, there is a high possibility that he/she will die.

**Jutsu Ranks**

**Enmaku**--_upper D-rank_. The ingenuity to convert chakra to smoke instead of fire, while simple in concept, is a challenge for any genin.

**Fuuton: Kaze Tate**--_lower C-rank_. The control of the chakra winds, a tricky thing to learn for an inexperienced genin, is the only true requirement.

**Fuuton: Kaze Kiwa**--_middle C-rank_. The control of the chakra winds and amount required is greater than the average genin can produce, thus the rank. While capable of various uses, it _is _still a fairly weak attack compared to other attacks.

**Fuuton: Kaze Doriru**--_upper C-rank_. The chakra requirement is greater than the standard Kaze Kiwa, thus the higher class.

**Fuuton: Kaze Wana**--_upper C-rank_. The power of this jutsu is far greater than its inspiration, Kaze Tate. But with a little practice, it easily doable by most jounin-hopefuls.

**Kibou Te**--_lower B-rank_. The precise control of this jutsu is only achievable by someone of considerable chakra control, talent, and reserves.

**Oboro**--_middle B-rank_. The sheer amounts of chakra needed alone makes this jutsu an instant jounin jutsu, even if it is reasonably easy to activate and control for even a genin.


	22. Berserk!

**(Author's Note)** I hope that some of you don't get queasy easily. There's some blood spilling in this chapter, as well as a fair portion of bone-breaking and organ-piercing. In short, this chapter is almost exclusively fighting with very little character development.  
_You've been warned_.

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 22—Berserk!

"Single file!" Iruka called out over sounds of the fighting that was taking place in the streets of Konoha. The long line of academy students was moving as quickly as it could under the circumstances. "Don't worry about the bad guys. We'll protect all of you with our lives!"

Near the entrance of the secret shelter, Konohamaru stopped suddenly. He didn't know why, but something suddenly didn't feel right. Like he could sense that something…earth-shattering was about to happen. A fear of unparalleled power descended upon as he realized that it probably had something to do with his grandfather.

He had been trapped inside some sort of barrier at the top of the Chuunin Final Exam arena last he'd heard. From the sounds that were echoing out of the said barrier, there was fierce battle taking place between him and his opponent. Konohamaru didn't know who he was fighting or why, but the man was obviously very strong to put up a fight against a Hokage.

As it was, because he'd paused at that very moment, he was one of the few people to notice a bad omen appear. A large crack broke out across the Sandaime's face on the Hokage Monument. That horrible feeling that he felt only deepened as he gazed upon the scarred face of the man he held in the highest regard. Something bad was about to happen to him.

He just knew it.

* * *

"Hey, Gaara," Naruto called out as he focused his newly rediscovered chakra while distracting Gaara for a second. "Let me show you the true power of the OBORO NO JUTSU!" 

As he called its name, the jutsu activated. The chakra was so powerful that it was plainly visible to the naked eye for a moment. Completely ignoring the stunned Uchiha next to him, Naruto brought his hands to form his favorite cross-seal.

"Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Hundreds of Kage Bunshins suddenly appeared in the trees surrounding the greatly surprised Gaara who was looking around in an almost worried gesture. The fact that each of the clones was surrounded by the Oboro was as surprising as it was unnerving.

As the blondes launched themselves in a circling attack pattern, Shikamaru tried to examine the boy's chances and what his strategy could be. With that many clones, it would be likely that he was planning on some kind of mass Rendan and not be too concerned with his other jutsus. There was simply no way he could have much in his reserves after unleashing all of these clones…right?

Sasuke was too busy staring at Naruto in total surprise. Where as before he'd been suffering from chakra depletion and all his favorite attacks were rendered useless, the blonde was now flowing with more chakra than he'd ever felt coming from him. The look in his eyes had reminded him of his fight with Kiba when he'd insulted the blonde. But this time it had a different emotion that fueled it. Sasuke, in that instant, realized just how much Naruto hid from him for so long. And it pissed him off.

Temari could only stare, trying to understand where all this brat's newfound power had come from.

Gaara was too busy watching the stalking blondes in the treetops that he failed to notice the trio that were underneath him on the ground. That is until a sudden and extremely powerful wind lifted his massive form off the tree limb and into the air. He was only given a second to glance downward to see them running in a circle under him with large tornadoes surrounding them. The combined power of the three tornadoes lifted him clear of the tree and out into the open of the small clearing.

As one unit, several dozens of the clones launched themselves at Gaara. Among the mass of fists, feet, and even an occasional forehead, the blondes were calling the syllables of the Kyokudo Rendan.

The final blow, powered by three dozen blondes, sent the mostly mutated and mangled Suna-nin flying towards the ground. But he never touched down, instead his back was violently introduced to numerous fists. The power behind that sent him flying back into the mass of clones again.

This time he was semi-prepared for it. Spreading his arms, Gaara summoned a large amount of sand out of the earth. It rose up and covered him protectively for a second before it suddenly began twisting and spinning into a funnel.

"**Suna no Tatsumaki!**" was barely heard through the sand. The sand tornado kicked up large amounts of sand and debris, and sent powerful gusts of air out.

It was only thanks to his Sharingan that Sasuke could see that strange chakra that was also in the winds. Using what little stamina he had left, he raced full speed back to Sakura. Picking her up, he had just barely enough time to clear the immediate area as the chakra-enhanced winds reached them. He had to get her away from here, it was too dangerous. It was with great reluctance that he ran from the battle with the girl in his arms.

Pakkun, smelling the youki in the air, was fast to retreat to a safer distance with Shikamaru only a second behind.

The winds were so strong that they tore trees apart, even right out of the ground. It went without saying that nearly all the shadow clones were destroyed instantly. The small clearing that had previously been there was now greatly enlarged to nearly a two hundred meter diameter.

As the sands retreated back to the earth, Gaara emerged, his mutilated form repaired once again. He was breathing heavily as he felt his tenant's youki slipping away quickly. That sand tornado took far too much youki and he only used it as last resort of desperation. He couldn't keep this up for very much longer. If he didn't take his final form soon, Uzumaki would almost definitely beat him!

He just happened to look up in time to see a mop of blonde hair crash face first into the ground, kicking up a small dust cloud. Gaara couldn't help but smirk as he watched Naruto stiffly pull himself to his feet, whining like a baby.

"Jeez, Gaara," Naruto whined. "You could warn a person before you do something like that! That was a rock I landed on!" And indeed, there was an exposed boulder under him that looked like it had just been hit by a sledgehammer.

Gaara only smirked wider. Whatever had fueled Naruto to suddenly gain so much chakra, it had also increased his resilience incredibly. It hadn't escaped his notice that the blonde was complaining about hitting a rock with his face, rather than what had caused him to. That would mean that Naruto was somewhere close to his own level, if not higher, to simply shrug off an attack that would've knocked another unconscious upon impact.

"**You wanna play, Uzumaki?**" he asked snidely. "**Fine, then. Let's play!**"

Crossing his arms across his chest, he formed shuriken out of the sands of his arms. Naruto couldn't exactly see what he was doing, but he did notice the slight indentions that appeared on the boy's arms. Before he could react or form the Kaze Tate again, Gaara whipped his arms apart and launched almost countless shurikens.

"**Suna Shuriken!**" he cried, as the speeding weapons hit Naruto.

The force behind them was enough to pick Naruto clear off the ground and send him flying backwards. Speeding up to the boy, Gaara gave a mighty swing that further sent the boy careening into and through trees. Rather than follow, the Suna-nin stayed in the open where he had easy access to the ground and sand.

_Ow…ow…ow…ow…ouch!_ Naruto cried out mentally as he destroyed one tree after another. After flying nearly forty meters skyward and through five trees, he came to a stop. Dropping out of the deep imprint that he left in its bark, he fell a short distance to another limb under him.

He just lay there for a moment to catch his breath. The searing pain in his back was considerable. But thankfully, the pain began to lessen and quickly started to heal. It would take a little while, but enough.

As his breath finally came back under control, he sat up and slowly pulled himself to his feet. Hanging in tatters around his waist was his shredded white undershirt. Now he was truly grateful for removing his sweater. It had cost a bundle and he didn't want to ruin it during his first time wearing it.

Looking back in the direction he'd just come from, he could feel Gaara still there, waiting patiently. That boy just didn't seem to have any limits! How could he beat him? And he had a feeling that if he didn't do it quickly, the Suna-nin would only draw on even more power. Well, if he had any left in his reserves after all that he'd just used.

But what could he do that could even stand up to the boy? His Oboro was excellent in keeping him out of the boy's crosshairs. But none of his fuuton jutsus seemed to be working. Water was probably a good idea in this scenario, but there was none in sight. And he doubted that there was a spring underneath them. His Rendans, while excellent at disfiguring Gaara, just weren't cutting it. What else could he use?

_I guess there's no choice now_, he realized. But he needed a way to make sure that he could get close enough to the Suna-nin for it to make contact. _Hm_… Then inspiration hit him.

"Well I'll be…" Pakkun muttered as he watched Naruto climb back onto his feet after being sent flying through nearly a half-mile of woodlands. The boy merely glanced down at his ruined shirt before absentmindedly tearing the remains off his chest. "That boy is as tough as rubber."

"Where is he getting that kind of strength to stand up again?" the Nara boy near him wondered aloud.

"Naruto," Pakkun said as the boy suddenly looked up towards where he came from. "Is much more than what we thought, it would seem."

"Gaara," the boy called out. "You're really starting to tick me off!"

He launched himself forward with an ease that was surprising. As though he'd not just been sent crashing through the very trees he was jumping over.

"**Back for more?**" Gaara called as he watched the blonde approaching. Crossing his arms again, he formed his sand shuriken. "**Suna Shuriken!**"

As the weapons were approaching him, twenty Narutos suddenly appeared. They flashed through three handseals and then a wall of wind erupted around them. The wind was just strong enough to deflect the sand weapons.

Snorting at them, Gaara drew back, ready to attack. But rather than attack, as they approached, the blondes starting running in circles around him with their tornadoes still spinning. Gaara only realized what they were doing after the winds increased in power, lifting him off the ground.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" was shouted as a dozen clones appeared around him.

"U!" was shouted as several feet connected to his stomach, sending him farther upward. "Zu!" his back was once again introduced to several fists. The blow sent him flying forward, into several pairs of feet. "Ma!" He tried swinging his tail around his body, but proved to be a mistake. While he destroyed his most recent attackers, he left his back open. "Ki!" the kicks sent him higher still.

Over in the trees, Sasuke, who had returned quickly after leaving Sakura almost five hundred meters away, watched as on the ground a small group of blondes began sending several more flying high into the air. What were they up to? Didn't they know that those Rendans, no matter how many Kage Bunshins he used, just didn't work? He must have some other kind of plan.

It was because he was watching the group on the ground that he saw it. One of the numerous blondes had been sent flying up even higher than the others. But what really drew his attention was some kind spinning mass of chakra that was gathering into the blonde's palm. What was that?

"Rendan!" the final blow didn't send Gaara crashing to the ground like he'd expected but in the opposite direction.

Because his jaw had been used to fling him up, he was able to spot the single blonde above him. He was holding some kind of bright blue ball. That didn't surprise or scare him in the least. It was the amount of chakra he could sense that was gathered inside the ball. It must be some kind of bomb to hold that much chakra!

With a roar, Gaara swung his arm up to hit the boy away. Naruto, in response, brought the sphere down to intercept the blow. When the two hit, there was a loud explosion of sound as the highly spinning ball of chakra winds met the chakra-enhanced sand fist. Both boys were trying to force the other's attack away while trying to get at their opponent. But it was a complete stalemate.

Then glowing cracks began to make their way slowly down Gaara's arm. Despite the fact that sand was charged with his and Shukaku's energies and nerves, he didn't feel any pain from the invading chakra. That is until the cracks under the sphere finally gave way and the ball entered.

With a horrible sensation of cutting, ripping, and shredding tearing its way down his arm, Gaara screamed as his sand arm literally exploded. He was too caught up in the pain and shock that he didn't notice Naruto until it was too late. The blonde was in his face again, holding another sphere in the other hand.

He was too late to stop the boy from thrusting the sphere. All Gaara could do was reflexively compact the sand covering his chest with as much chakra and youki as he could while hardening it.

The sphere hit his chest. With a funnel of wind and a loud explosion, he was sent flying to the ground, impacting with punishing force. But ringing in his ears was Naruto's voice, "**_RASENGAN!!!_**"

"What the!" four voices said at the same time. Three of them were awed beyond comprehension at what the boy had just done. The last was of shock and amazement, having recognized the jutsu instantly.

Dropping to the ground near Gaara, Naruto collapsed down to his knees, panting. All those Kaze Tates, Kage Bunshins, and two Rasengan sure took a lot out of him. If Gaara could still get up after that then he was screwed. Yet, he couldn't stop the large foxy grin from growing on his face.

He'd finally used the Rasengan, and it worked beautifully! Not only had it been able to destroy Gaara's sand arm, but it sent him to the ground with enough force to create a three-meter wide crater. Now that was a powerful jutsu!

"**You!**" came a voice of pure bloodlust and anger. Naruto glanced over at Gaara who was slowly climbing to his feet. "**You're dead!**"

With a primal roar of pain-induced fury, sand exploded from the ground they stood. It engulfed Gaara completely and rose very high into the air. But the same sand also sent Naruto tumbling away as the true form of Shukaku emerged.

* * *

Back in the arena of the Chuunin Final Exam, most the fighting had finally ended. The Oto-nins, while many in number, had little chance greatest Konoha's elite. The Suna-nins and surviving Oto-nins had wisely decided to retreat into the chaos that still consumed the better part of the village. 

But there were a select few that remained, waiting for their leader to emerge from his battle with the Sandaime. Thanks entirely to the barrier around them and the mass of vegetation that the temporarily reincarnated Shodai Hokage had created, no one knew exactly what was happening inside. The sounds of fighting had stopped yet there were still several voices inside.

Down on the arena floor, Baki and the still disguised Kabuto watched their enemies wearily. Kakashi, Genma, and Gai kept careful gazes on them for they seemed to be the only ones left that posed any truly serious threat.

Despite the dire situation, Kakashi couldn't help but be concerned for his genin team. Sasuke had used a lot of his stamina during the fight against Gaara. Naruto was clearly furious with him teaching Sasuke the Oboro. And Shikamaru and Sakura were nowhere near the level of skill to be of any real help in the fight.

It struck him as strange that all his hopes for their survival rested on Naruto. Especially given the boy's enormous chakra reserves, dirty tricks, quick mind, and being a Jinchuuriki made him the only one at the moment able to stand up to Gaara.

If worst came to worst, Naruto would refuse to help Sasuke. Sure, he'd seen the boy go after Sasuke but there was still the possibility that he was still somewhere in the village trying to fight the invasion force. If that was true, Sasuke would stand no chance against Gaara. The Uchiha knew that there was something wrong with the boy, Kakashi had told him so even if he didn't specify. If Naruto had truly not obeyed his sensei, then Kakashi could only hope that Sasuke would use his new skills wisely.

The fact that Gaara was a Jinchuuriki had been one of the primary reasons he taught the boy Naruto's jutsu. Even if he couldn't beat the Suna-nin, he could at least get the Uchiha up to Gaara's level so that his pride wouldn't be too bruised. And there was the fact that the Oboro would most definitely aid him in fighting and even killing Itachi if they ever met again. Kakashi had willingly broken his promise to Naruto because he believed that Sasuke's need was greater than keeping the promise.

But there was still the fact that only a month of training to increase his stamina and chakra potential would never be enough to even out the playing field. He knew that Gaara was still head and shoulders superior to Sasuke, especially since he seemed almost able to draw out the Ichibi's youki at will.

Sasuke would die if he faced Gaara alone. That was why he was quite worried. Only Naruto, under the circumstances, could offer a helping hand. If he could somehow summon Kyuubi's youki again, then the pair of them would most definitely triumph. Maybe he should've told Naruto to bring Sasuke back instead of helping him.

If…Too many ifs!

* * *

_That is one _big _monster_…Naruto thought absentmindedly as he gazed up at the creature that was sealed inside Gaara. The creature stood nearly as tall as the Hokage Monument and was nearly as wide as its height. And it was looking straight down at him with a disgusting smirk on it enormous face.

* * *

She didn't know what it was, but something woke her up. Groaning as she finally returned to the land of the living, Sakura felt an extraordinary pain throbbing in the back of her head. Like she'd been hit with a battering ram as it tried to break down a castle's gate. Other than that, her back and shoulders were feeling extremely tender as though they'd almost been crushed under a great weight. 

Sitting painfully up, she opened her eyes in time to see an enormous blast of air go ripping through the forest. It was much too close for comfort. Instinctively gripping to the tree she was on, Sakura watched in awe and fear as the youki-enhanced winds reduced whole trees to a pile of splinters in an instant. If she'd had the misfortune of getting caught inside _that_…

Sasuke's sudden arrival helped to distract her from her thoughts. But before she could speak, he knelt down and scooped her up. Before she could protest, he lifted her up and dashed away at a speed that was as exhilarating as it was mind-numbing.

The reason for the abrupt sprint was made painfully clear as another colossal gust of wind was sent rocketing through the trees where they had once been. The winds tore another ditch through the forest with ease until losing power some three miles away.

Sakura didn't realize it, but she was clinging to Sasuke for reassurance. If whatever or whoever sent that blast after them tried again, then he was her only way to survive!

"Sasuke-kun!" she asked, quite frightened. "What's going on?"

"Naruto's fighting Gaara," he said quietly, looking in the direction of the wind blast with his Sharingan. That had been much too close for comfort, and he had been warned! What happened to Naruto?

"What's that thing?" Sakura asked, fear clear in her voice as she spotted the giant monster over them.

"Gaara," he answered.

"No, it's not," said a female's voice nearby.

Whirling around, both of genin spotted Temari standing a few trees away. Her expression was that of grim resignation and fear. "It's Gaara's demon, the Ichibi known as Shukaku in Sunagakure…We're all gonna die."

"D-demon?" Sakura stuttered, looking back at the creature. _Yeah, that is definitely a demon in my book_, she realized as her chakra senses finally felt the power inside it. How could they fight against something like that? How could--?

"Where's Naruto?" she asked, instantly searching for her teammate.

"He's attacking the Ichibi head-on," Pakkun said as he and Shikamaru dropped down near them. "I'd say that there's nearly twenty Kage Bunshins with him."

"What?" she shrieked. "He's fighting alone? Can't we do something to help?"

"Like what?" four voices asked simultaneously. It was then that she realized that that was the problem. They couldn't do anything, at all. But how could Naruto even hope to fight against it alone and win?

"Face it, Sakura-san," Shikamaru said blandly. "Against that creature, we're nothing but a bunch of fleas when it's focused on Naruto. Even if we tried to, we'd only get in the way."

Any eerie silence descended on the group as they watched several shirtless blonde blurs running up the Ichibi's stomach with small explosions of smoke whenever a clone was destroyed by the sand.

_Naruto, _Sakura thought, far more worried for the baka than she would've thought possible. _What can you do against an enemy like that?

* * *

_

Tendrils of sand were snaking their way down the Ichibi's chest, aiming for the elusive blondes. A combination of quick reflexives, instinct, the Oboro, and pure luck had Naruto finally reach the monster's shoulder with two Kage Bunshins flanking him. 

On the sand demon's forehead, he spotted Gaara half protruding from the sand. The sand boy had a smirk of superiority on his face with that ever-so common gleam of maddened joy. The boy far outclassed him sheer chakra potential and the cocky bastard knew it! If he could just reach the brat, maybe he could knock _him _about for once.

Spotting a pair of sand whips lashing down towards him, the two Kage Bunshins rushed forward with the Kaze Kiwa active on their arms. One of them was a half a second too slow in intercepting the tendril and was destroyed. Its partner ducked under its attacker and slashed the sand whip in two.

Dodging the one remaining whip, Naruto leapt up for the boy on the creature's head. The creature merely turned its massive head to the side. Naruto let out an involuntary scream of fear, he was heading straight to the monster's slightly open mouth!

"Here!" his clone yelled as it twisted around to grab him.

Grasping its hand, he let the Kage Bunshin spin around and send him flying up over the muzzle of the beast. He just barely made it over, while the clone disappeared as it hit the protruding row of teeth.

"**Tenacious, aren't you?**" Gaara called out, smirking broadly. This boy, though he was no longer any threat, didn't know when to admit defeat. That was just fine for Gaara and Shukaku. This was the best fight they'd had in a very long time.

Pumping his chakra through his legs, Naruto gained a considerable boost in speed as he sped for his opponent. As he ran, he initiated the Kaze Kiwa himself. He didn't want to kill the boy, but he didn't want to use his Rasengan on the boy again just yet. He'd just have to aim for the boy's limbs or try to avoid any major organs if he got close enough. It was times like this that he wished he had a long-range jutsu.

He was actually in mid-air, his hand inches from the boy's shoulder, when he was finally caught. The sand bound his hands, feet, and waist securely. He was totally helpless. Naruto glared straight at Gaara as the boy held up a hand in preparation of crushing his bones. Not if Naruto had anything to say about it!

"**Die**," Gaara said, his murderous smirk fully covering his face.

Then the sand crushed him…or would've. Naruto suddenly disappeared in a poof of smoke to be replaced by a stubby log with what seemed to be several explosive notes slapped to it! The explosion of nearly a dozen notes was quite impressive. If it hadn't been for Shukaku's automatic defense of Gaara, the boy would've been deep-fried in that instant.

Down in the tree canopy, Naruto slammed his fist against the tree trunk he stood on in aggravation as he watched the smoke clear to reveal an unharmed Gaara. Not even that surprise attack had worked! Now he was really starting to get desperate. None of his jutsus were working. Not a single one of his tricks had a lasting effect. And his newly recovered chakra was quickly disappearing again. He couldn't keep this up much longer.

The Ichibi drawing its massive arm back drew his attention. The beast was looking straight at him again. But how did it find him so quickly? The answer lay under his fist; a large crack in the still shaking tree. _Kuso!_

With a speed that seemed completely out of place for a creature of such immense size, the monster swung its fist down towards him. It was instinct alone that had Naruto channeling his chakra to his limbs as his sprinted for safety. Had he not moved when he did, he would most certainly had been crushed into a bloody paste. The blow smashed the large trees into splinters and caused a considerable earthquake, even forming deep crevices in the crater.

However, Naruto wasn't given the opportunity to examine the damage. His attention was once again drawn to Shukaku as it took an enormous breath of air. Having seen this before, Naruto instantly started running again heading away from where he knew his friends to be.

The bulk of the wind blast missed him. But the powerful gusts caught him while he was helpless in the air, blowing him high into the sky. He could only watch in horror as the beast's tail came spinning around towards him. And this time he didn't have time to use the Kawarimi.

* * *

All of them winced involuntarily as they watched Naruto get struck by the tail. They didn't want to imagine the bone-shattering pain that he must be feeling after that. If he even survived that blow, it would nothing short of a miracle. At least they thought so. 

They had shifted their position slightly. All of them were in the top branches of the tallest trees they could find. They were nearly a mile from the gargantuan tanuki but they could just barely see the blonde enigma, mostly due to his orange pants.

"Naruto!" Sakura called out, trying to see what had happened to her teammate. Turning to her other teammate, she almost screamed out, "Where is he? Is he alright?"

It was entirely thanks to his Sharingan, which was able to see Naruto's dwindling chakra signature, that he was able to spot several trees tremble or collapse in the general direction that the blonde had taken. "Looks like he was thrown almost a mile away," he said quietly to her. "I can't see what happened to him though."

"We have to go help him!" she cried. "No one could survive that!"

"I don't think you should worry about him," Pakkun said from the branch under them, earning three furious glares from the Konoha-nins. "Maybe you should worry about what the Ichibi will do next."

"It will held back to the village to massacre it," Temari said, speaking with such casualness that it was almost as though she were reading it out of a jutsu scroll. "Nothing will be able to stop it, unless someone is able to wake up Gaara."

"Many of our jounins and ANBU are too busy battling," Shikamaru said instantly, despite his strong urge to find Naruto, Konoha was more important that a single genin. "They're probably getting pretty low on stamina by now. They won't be able to put up much of a fight…And Naruto's not important enough to put over Konoha's safety."

Sudden movement from Shukaku had them watching it. It had taken off at a slow jog through the forest towards Konoha. Well, slow for it.

The Konoha-nins were moving before they even realized they were. The Ichibi was indeed heading for their home. They couldn't let it get there without putting up some kind of meager defense!

Watching the shinobi trailing after her mutated brother, Temari felt her respect for them go up a notch. Even in the face of such overwhelming odds, they still seemed to think that they could help or even stop it. That was either extraordinary courage or the highest form of stupidity imaginable.

Well, whatever it was, she still had to watch over her brother. No telling what could happen between here and that pitiful village. It was with this thought that she let out a resigned sigh before chasing after and quickly catching up to the Konoha-nins.

* * *

He hurt. 

He hurt very badly.

His ribs were completely shattered. His spine must've been severed in nearly six different places. Both arms and legs seemed to be little more than mangled flesh. It went without saying that most of his internal organs were punctured. He was going to die from fatal internal bleeding. Yet, through all that, his neck and brain had been left mostly unharmed by some miracle.

The pain, what little his brain could fathom, was enormous. He knew he was dying. But for some reason, it didn't concern him at all. After all, what could he do if he somehow survived? With these injuries, his career was over. He'd given all he had against Gaara and Shukaku, and he'd failed. What would be the point of trying any further?

"**Hmph, weakling**," growled a deep voice that he'd heard only once before.

Opening his eyes, Naruto stared up at the gigantic gates that held the Kyuubi prisoner inside him. He could just barely turn his head to the side enough to see the enormous kitsune standing on the opposite side of the gate, glaring down at him.

"**How can you lose to the _weakest _of us Bijuu?**" the kitsune-youkai demanded, its red eyes glowing in its rage.

Despite his incredible pain, Naruto still managed to glare at the kitsune. "Leave…me…a-lone…" he gasped out in barely over a whisper. He had only a few seconds of left to live. "D-don't…want…help…"

His vision was fading. He could feel his last breath leaving his chest. The blood pooling his lungs was now enough to cause him to start suffocating. Blood was running freely out of his mouth as evidence of this.

A small smile escaped him as he felt a warm sensation starting to spread over his body. The pain began to fade. He could feel his shattered body pulling itself back together, fixing all that was broken or torn open. Was this what it felt like to die?

Then as his spine was realigned and reconnected, he realized that he recognized this feeling. It wasn't death. It was youki, _Kyuubi's _youki!

"**Let me show you how to TRULY FIGHT _TO THE DEATH!_**" the Kyuubi roared. It was feeding the boy far more than enough youki to instantly heal his broken body. But mixed in with that youki was his own rage. It strengthened the amount given to far past the limits of any _normal_ human's body could handle.

It was with glee that the demon felt it's youki reaching into the boy's brain, slightly shifting his thought process to match the kitsune. For the first time in twelve years, it would be able to stretch its legs.

* * *

Jiraiya stood atop of one of the dozen 'destroyer frogs' that he'd summoned to battle the numerous giant serpents that had been summoned. The frogs had mostly won the battle, with surprising ease. But the Sannin figured that that was probably because some part of the invasion plan had failed. If his spies were correct, something must've happened that Suna Jinchuuriki. 

Looking over the village, he could feel the many battling chakra signatures down there. But the more aggressive ones, ones that he could vaguely feel tainted with Orochimaru's desires, were quickly dwindling in number. This invasion was a failure. Konoha had won.

Then a sudden powerful youki made itself known to him. It was strong, but nowhere near as strong as what he'd been told the Kyuubi had been capable of. In fact it was nearly double that his own chakra potential.

The sounds of enormous feet crushing trees like twigs and approaching earthquakes accompanied the feeling. Jiraiya and the frog he stood on both turned in the direction of the pending arrival of the youki signature.

The source of the youki emerged from over a hilltop in the distance. He slowly realized that it was the bijuu Ichibi or Shukaku. The demon stopped on the hilltop and turned its gaze towards the large village. Jiraiya could literally see the gears working in its head; this was going to be trouble.

He couldn't let it any closer to the village!

But he couldn't fight it with this frog, since it was barely half as tall or powerful as the Ichibi. He'd need Gamabunta's help, which was tricky at best for him. That frog was as arrogant as it was gigantic, and it's dislike for Jiraiya was nearly equivalent in size.

"No choice," he grumbled as he reopened the small cut on his thumb. He could only hope that whatever Kami was out there that the frog boss would listen to him this time.

* * *

They were losing ground. No matter how fast they ran, even using their chakra to reinforce their muscles, they were still falling behind! They were about two miles from Konoha and that distance was shrinking fast. But the demon was only a mile and that gap was shrinking even faster. 

"We're not gonna make it!" Sakura all but screamed.

As if it was the god of coincidence's own personal joke, the moment those words left her lips the largest frog that they'd ever see in their lives appeared in a large eruption of smoke. Thankfully the frog stood directly in the Ichibi's path, halting the demon's advance.

They don't really know what it was, but some instinct propelled them to take a broader path around the giant pair. Only a moment later did they realize why; the frog had unleashed several enormous balls of water while Shukaku blew out numerous balls of youki-enhanced winds. The two forces of nature collided and exploded spectacularly, causing a brief downpour of rain to cover the cautiously approaching shinobi.

They watched as the frog unsheathed an equally large katana. Then, with another example of unbelievable speed for something so large, the frog sprung forward. A single slash of the giant blade cleaved one of the Ichibi's arms clean off its body. The frog came to a skidding halt a short distance away, still facing the monster like an expert swordsman. The Ichibi roared as its arm was separated from its body. Facing the giant frog, it seemed to growl before putting on what could've been called a grin. Then a new arm suddenly sprouted and replaced the severed limb.

The two monoliths both crouched down as though they were prepared for another round. But then, just before they could leap, they stopped and looked off in the direction that Shukaku had just come from.

The genin that were within the general area that the beasts were looking all shivered. Did they somehow attract their attention? No, that couldn't be possible since they had each other to distract them. Then what…

Then the feeling reached their lesser trained senses. Something of _immense _power was approaching, fast. It was so great that even Shukaku's youki paled miserably in comparison.

Sasuke and Sakura leapt up to the trees highest branches in hopes of seeing what new creature was going to enter this fight next. Surely a power as great and malicious as this could only be another demon of some sort.

It was thanks to their vantage point that they spotted an eerie red glow in the ditch that Gaara's demon had created. What surprised them was the speed it was traveling, easily three times faster than what the Shukaku had been! And the closer it got, the brighter the glow became.

In Konoha, all fighting came to an abrupt and unscheduled halt as the waves of foul chakra washed over them. Those that recognized it cringed in fear as their absolute worst fears were realized. Those didn't know of it's source could only tremble in primal terror as the being came closer towards them.

As they watched, a figure finally came into view. Sasuke and Sakura was shocked beyond reason to discover that it was their teammate. Naruto was back from the dead and stronger than they'd ever thought was possible.

"How can he have _red _chakra?" Sakura asked quietly as she watched the red blur race past them, kicking a considerable gust. Sasuke didn't bother to answer, just continue watching. Were his Sharigan eyes deceiving him or did Naruto suddenly sprout a pair of tails?

Naruto's hands were flashing through the handseals of a jutsu he had never truly used or mastered before. It was far too powerful for him to use normally and the damage it caused was colossal. Plus, because of his talent for fuuton jutsus, he had an unusually difficult time using this jutsu. Simply because he had little to no talent in converting chakra to fire.

In fact that was how he'd accidentally developed his Enmaku jutsu. He'd pestered Iruka-sensei for an entire week for the man to teach him the Goukakyuu no Jutsu. But he couldn't change his chakra into fire at all, only being able to produce smoke. Iruka had just laughed at Naruto's fruitless attempts to complete the jutsu. After he'd analyzed what he'd done wrong, Naruto finally decided to abandon learning the Goukakyuu. But he'd quickly realized the potential of the Enmaku.

But now, with they Kyuubi's enraged youki rushing through him, he didn't give it a second thought. All he cared about now was utterly destroying that demon and then tearing Gaara apart, limb by limb! The bastard had it coming!

If he hadn't been so furious, he probably wouldn't have been surprised to learn that Kyuubi's youki was ridiculously easy to change to fire.

As he flashed through the seventy handseals at near the speed of light, he was gathering as much youki as he possibly could into his chest. The youki was converted to fire and greatly compacted down, almost becoming a liquid. Reaching the final seal, he leapt as high as he possibly could while inhaling as much air as he could.

"**_KATON: KARYUU SAIKOU KYUUZOU NO JUTSU!_**" he screamed before finally releasing all the fire-youki in his chest.

A dragonhead of fire erupted out of his mouth, quickly growing in size until it was nearly as large as the Hokage Tower. The dragonhead rushed for the sand demon at a ridiculously fast speed, leaving a blazing trail of fire in its wake. It took with it a vast portion of that strange chakra that Naruto was using with it.

Shukaku, despite its initial fear, smirked in arrogance. A Katon jutsu? Those had little to no effect against its sand. It was just a pity that the brat had channeled some much of his power into a useless jutsu. However, in its arrogance, the Ichibi failed to notice that Gamabunta had suddenly leapt as far away as he possibly could

It was with a halfhearted swat that Shukaku tried to knock the small dragonhead away. Instead of disappearing, the colossal amount of youki that still remained within the fire exploded. Shukaku's surprised and worried face was visible for only a second before the flames consumed the beast.

A bright flash of light erupted from the dragonhead as it exploded. Then, after a second's pause, the shockwave struck the surrounding forest and landscape. All woodland within the first five-hundred meters of the explosion were incinerated to ashes. Wildfires spread at an alarming rate for the next several hundreds of meters. Needless to say that Shukaku's sand body was completely blown to pieces under such a powerful assault, reduced to little more than a sand cloud and glass.

All was silent in the general area of the explosion, even in Konoha as the shinobi tried to understand what had just happened. Konoha had thankfully been well out of the blast range and the following wildfires, but the winds were quickly blowing the flames in their direction. The shinobi would've been more panicked if the dozen destroyer frogs hadn't jumped over to put the flames out immediately.

As the debris and ashes settled to the ground, Naruto rushed straight for the blast zone. The superheated sand and glass under his feet didn't even register in his mind. For the wounds that they caused him were healed almost as quickly as his foot left the ground.

No, he was focused on something else entirely. He could still feel the bastard's chakra. Gaara was still alive! Well, now he was going to pay for all that pain he'd caused him!

Just as he reached the center the center of the slight crater, a badly sweating and breathing red haired boy emerged from under the sands and glass. It was a very good thing that Shukaku had hidden him deep underground upon spotting the jutsu, there was just too much youki used in it to be taken too lightly. Unknown to him, his Suna no Tate jumped up to block the attacking blonde. He looked up in time to see a fist surrounded by red youki come crashing through his sand shield like it was tissue paper and impact into his face.

The blow sent him flying backwards head over heels, dragging his face into the ground. If it weren't for the fact that he _always _had some layer of Suna no Yoroi on his body, that punch would've ended his life in an instant. Naruto let out a scream that echoed through the forest; a beast of unparalleled fury had awakened.

Because his face was digging a trench in the dirt, Gaara didn't see the red-silhouetted blonde dash in front of him with a speed that even Lee would've had trouble tracking. Sliding back on one foot, Naruto drew his other back, waiting for Gaara. The following kick to the boy's head sent the Suna-nin tumbling high into the air back the way he'd come. With a youki-enhanced halt and jump, Naruto was dropping from the air down onto Gaara's stomach.

The blow sent the Suna-nin crashing into the ground, creating a large crater. With an enraged battle cry, Naruto was only a nanosecond behind him. With glowing red fists, the berserk blonde began laying countless punches into Gaara's chest, abdomen, and face. He didn't halt his attack, just kept punching and punching.

During this assault, Gaara somehow managed to find the strength of will to summon as much sand to strengthen his Suna no Yoroi as possible. But this action only enraged Naruto further. Evidence of this was that there was so much force behind the punches now that the slightly hardened earth under them began to crack and break.

Suddenly halting his attack, Naruto lifted Gaara up by the strap that once held his gourd. A powerful knee to his gut sent the boy sailing up and over the tree canopy and the unseen bystanders despite another attempt from his sand shield. As though they were connected by an invisible thread, Naruto was up and on top of the boy once again. This time, he grabbed the defenseless boy's head and began mercilessly ramming his forehead against Gaara's. He didn't stop, until after they crashed through several trees and made another crater in the earth.

Standing up, Naruto began to pummel the boy again all the while screaming his rage out to the world. Quickly growing bored of this, he picked up the near-lifeless shinobi and sent the boy flying back towards the clearing made by the dragonhead explosion with a single kick. Trees were either toppled by Gaara's passage through them, or Naruto's who didn't even notice their presence. Skidding to a halt at the opposite edge of the explosion crater, Gaara lay where he landed. It was hard to tell, but he was still alive…barely.

It was as Naruto was dashing forward to finish Gaara that something shifted in Naruto's thought process. It was the desire to kill. Naruto didn't want to, Kyuubi did. This difference in desire caused a rift, separating the two minds and finally allowing the boy think for himself. What he saw just ahead of his still speeding body was a defenseless boy with his last defense crumbling.

Panic welled up inside Naruto as he fought to regain control of himself. He could feel the youki trying to regain its possession of him, but now that he was aware of what it wanted, he was able to fight it off by sheer willpower. He received enough control of his body to stop of his legs from running, but digging them into the ground as he skidded to a stop over the boy.

He just barely stopped his fist from crashing into Gaara's chest. The strength he could feel leaving him made him realize that that punch would've shattered Gaara's ribcage easily. If he'd been half a second too late, Gaara would now be dead or dying.

Panting from the exertion he had to put on himself to stop, and from all the fighting Kyuubi had him do, Naruto had just barely enough strength to take a few steps away from the surprised Suna-nin before collapsing next to him.

Gaara watched in fear and awe as the changes to Naruto's body slowly began to disappear as the youki in him faded. It started with the red flame silhouette that surrounded the boy. Then his teeth and fingers began to return to normal.

Never had Gaara ever felt so much fear for a single being before. Yet despite what the kid had just done to him, it was hard to believe considering how badly he was shaking now. As though trying to..._suppress his inner demon_. This realization brought a small amount of pride back to Gaara as he now understood.

Truly, only another Jinchuuriki could beat him so badly.

"Don't worry," Naruto gasped out, sensing Gaara's fear. "I won't fight you anymore."

"H-how…are you…so strong?" Gaara asked weakly. He may be a Jinchuuriki, but he had fought with _more_ than just youki. Where did that phenomenal strength suddenly come? He'd felt sure that he'd crushed the boy's body when he left him for dead. Then the boy suddenly returned wielding more chakra and strength than he had with Shukaku fully released!

"Because…" Naruto said quietly, watching the Suna-nin's face. There was something in the boy's eye that had him consider his words very carefully. This was an earth-shattering moment for him, something that he would remember for the rest of his life. "You threatened my friends…and my home…"

"…Why?" Gaara repeated, clearly not understanding entirely.

Naruto was silent for a moment, gazing at the ground as he contemplated his own actions. Most of them had been for protecting his home and friends, despite what a few of them had done to him recently. But then again, they were the…

"Because they accepted me…" he said quietly, glancing up at Gaara with now blue eyes. "They accepted me when no one else would…But I swear if you try to harm them again--" his blue eyes suddenly turned red and slitted again. "I will fight you again. And I _will _beat you again."

Then, like the wind, the small amount of youki vanished from him. It was with blue eyes that Naruto dropped unconscious.

Gaara was silent. In his mind was a fragment of a memory he'd long since condemned as insignificant and filled with lies. But now…Maybe Yashamaru-san had been correct after all. If that's why he's so strong…

The Suna-nin was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he scarcely noticed Temari and Kankuro suddenly appear next to them. It was like he was watching everything unfold from a great distance away while he was distracted by his own thoughts.

Arriving shortly after Naruto fell unconscious, Jiraiya took a moment to stare down at his part-time apprentice. The boy had lost his new sweater, headband, weapons' pouch, and even his left sandal. Yet if it weren't for the grit, sweat, and some bloodstains that covered his upper body, it would've been impossible to tell that he'd just been involved with a life-and-death battle.

Opening his eyes weakly, Gaara stared straight up at Jiraiya with a blank stare. The Suna boy was by far worse. There was not a square inch of his body that his Suna no Yoroi wasn't cracked. In fact it was a miracle that it was still protecting him! However, it seemed that the power behind a good portion of those attacks that he'd only glimpsed Naruto giving the boy had broken through the armor and caused some serious internal bleeding for Gaara. Blood was dripping out of his mouth and nose, as well as various places across his sand armor.

It was about this time that Jiraiya really noticed who was standing next to the red-haired boy. It was a teenaged, blond-haired girl. Had this been a normal situation, not a war zone, Jiraiya would've instantly tried to size her up for he instinctively knew that she'd be a demon in bed. But as it was, all he allowed himself to see was another enemy shinobi.

"Sir," the girl said timidly when she noticed him staring at her."Can you…help my brother?"

Spotting the telltale hourglass on the headband hanging from her neck, he considered for a moment. Then he shook his head. Temari felt a well of despair rise up in her. If this man didn't try to help her brother fast, he would die from these injuries soon!

As though he were still awake enough to know what was happening, Naruto suddenly mumbled in his sleep. "Damn, pervert…help Gaara…Ero-Sannin."

"Shut up!" Jiraiya yelled reflexively at the nickname.

Then he stopped himself from hitting the unconscious boy and reconsidered. If he did heal Gaara, it wouldn't be too likely that he'd unleash the demon again. The boy was clearly too exhausted and in such shock to even keep his mind on the present, it was painfully obvious.

With a resigned sigh, he glanced over to where he could sense the cautiously approaching genin. Once he spotted them at the edges of the blast clearing, he yelled out loudly for them to go get a medic-nin, _right now!_

As the genin complied with the order, Jiraiya was careful to keep a close eye on the three Suna-nin. They waited impatiently for the genin to return. It was then that he realized that he was going to have to play twenty questions with them until Naruto finally awoke.

* * *

The small clearing had been greatly and violently enlarged by the last attack. Smoldering debris lay scattered throughout the clearing, as well as numerous bodies. Each body had visible signs of brutal fighting and deaths. Most were impaled by kunai and shuriken, had missing limbs, or were disemboweled. Several even had long slash or teeth marks on the parts of their remaining bodies that weren't torn to pieces. 

Though all the carnage, there were only two figures still alive. One wore the traditional uniform of the Iwa ANBU, though his long-since demolished mask lay scattered somewhere in the nearby area. He was down on one knee, cradling the stump where his right arm use to be. He'd be dead in a matter of moments from blood loss, if this freakishly powerful nuke-nin didn't kill him first.

The nuke-nin wore long, flowing black robes with strange red clouds. The man's face, which had been hidden under that hat during the whole fight, was only partially visible in the shadows on his face. Yet there was just enough light for the ANBU to see a pair of red eyes glowing brightly in bloodlust.

This man was ridiculously powerful. His skills were far superior than any ANBU, or even Kage for that matter, could hope to match. He had the most peculiar chakra; foul and full of fury and bloodlust, almost demonic. Yet the ANBU and his team of seven had been sent to capture this man for raiding the Tsuchikage Tower and stealing their secret scrolls on forbidden seals.

They'd heard of the brutality that the man had done to the poor Chuunin guards who'd accidentally discovered him. The only thing keeping the Tsuchikage from charging after the man himself was that his wife went into labor and he simply refused to be absent at the birth of his first child.

The ANBU had had a bad feeling about this mission since he'd learned of it. There had been a strange tingling in the back of his mind, the sensation that he'd always heard would be felt if he was about to witness a vision. Yet, for some reason, it seemed to be suppressed the closer he got to the man.

The young ANBU's clan of Iwagakure had always been Iwa's hidden ace. A few of their most talented shinobi were able to catch brief glimpses of the future. To this day no one in Iwagakure knows what was the origin of this bloodline, it had existed for many centuries before the formation of the shinobi villages.

Despite this talent of foresight, they have never been able to control it at will. The visions they saw came at random and irregular times. It's said that whatever they see and verbally foretell is what _will_ happen, no matter how hard people may try to alter their fate. But whenever one of the clan members saw a vision, it was always about some turning point in the history of the world. Like the time the Yondaime Hokage had single-handedly massacred the entire army of the Iwa shinobi in the battle that broke their spirit in the Third Shinobi War.

The ANBU had never seen a vision himself, just heard about what the sensation feels like from those that had. It was now, as the nuke-nin began walking forward, raising his bloodied katana for the finishing blow, he saw his first and last vision ever.

He stood on another battlefield. It was surrounded by crushed and burning trees with craters pocketing the earth in various locations. Corpses of several people lay in different corners of the battlefield, but many of them wore the remains of the same black-red clouds pattern as the man standing in front of him.

Circling the edges of the battlefield stood what must have been the entire population of some nearby village. They seemed to be cheering for someone on the battlefield, but he couldn't be sure since there was an eerie silence that hung in the air.

Looking around, the ANBU spotted something he'd never seen before but had heard of. It was a large dome of a chakra that was as red as blood. Lightning raced across it's edges, preventing the small group of people inside from escaping.

Then he heard the first sound since arriving in the vision: footsteps. Turning towards the footsteps, he spotted the same man that was about to kill him. Except now he'd removed that hat he wore, exposing magnificent blonde hair that clashed badly with the black robe. The man looked to be somewhere in his early forties, if that.

Walking towards the man was a young man, a teenager at that. But strangely enough, the boy had the same bright blonde hair as the man. But where the man was emitting waves of bloodlust and fury, this boy stood the calm center of the storm of red, blue, and purple chakra that had silhouetted him. That was when he spotted the headband on the boy's head.

Konoha.

Then the vision shifted. The two combatants were clearly at the ends of their reserves. He could clearly see the chakra they were using to power the enormous spheres they each held.

The blonde boy was in nearly the same condition as himself. Yet it was clear that he'd fought much more ferociously, even losing his shirt and much of his pants. His body looked like it just wanted to collapse, but his determination was the only thing that kept him on his feet.

It gave the ANBU vindictive satisfaction to see the man was also battle damaged as well. The man had taken his and his teammates' best jutsus head-on, and emerged completely unscathed. But now that was no longer so. But if he could withstand ANBU-class jutsus, then the jutsus that this young man had given him must have been far more powerful!

The two were currently engaged in a battle of wills and chakra, both trying to overpower the other's glowing sphere with their own. But it seemed that the nuke-nin was winning. He couldn't be certain but he knew both were at the peaks of their potential, which was most definitely some sort of summit that no average shinobi could reach. Though he couldn't sense them, he just felt this awesome impression of **POWER **coming from both of them.

Then, he didn't know what, something changed in the air. The boy seemed to have gained something...more. He watched in awe as the boy began overpowering the man's sphere.

Who are you?_ He could only wonder as he stared at the suddenly fading image of the teenager. Then it was replaced with a new, but similar battlefield. He watched as a blur of red came racing across an enormous blast radius, towards another boy with bright red hair, with clear murderous intent. _

Just before the blond could reach the red-head, the blonde suddenly faltered. It was as though the boy was fighting his own urges to kill and what he really wanted to do. But he got control of himself to stop himself from delivering the finishing blow with just inches to spare.

The ANBU didn't know for sure how, but he could almost sense that this last scene was not from the future. It was happening right now. If that were true, then that blonde boy was…

He blinked as the vision faded from his eyes. He shook his head for a moment, realigning himself with where he was. Looking up, he spotted that nuke-nin who was destined to battle that blonde boy…Naruto? He didn't know how, but the name just jumped into his mind. Was that the name of the boy and soon-to-be teenager?

And if that vision held any truth, then…

A small chuckle escaped his throat, despite the enormous effort it took. He could feel his head starting to spin from lack of blood. He'd only seconds left to live. Yet he didn't feel fear, anger, or any other emotion. Just a feeling of content.

Looking up at the man's red eyes again, he smirked with all of his remaining strength. "You…may have won…today," he gasped out. "But…one day…he _will_…beat you."

The nuke-nin wasted no less than a nanosecond to behead the man who had just foretold his future and sealed his fate. Glaring at the ANBU's decapitated head, he smirked in satisfaction at the sight of the blood.

* * *

**(Author's Note)** I know that the ability to stroke emotion in a author's readers is an impressive one, but I believe that to be able to do that and still surprise the reader with certain actions the characters do is an even greater one. That's my opinion. 

New Jutsu

(Gaara) **Suna no Tatsumaki/**_Tornado of Sand_--Just as its name implies, it is a tornado composed solely of sand and chakra (or youki) -enhanced winds. The chakra requirement for this jutsu is immense. But it is one of Gaara's most favorite attack/defense jutsus, even if he can rarely use it. The Suna no Tatsumaki could be considered the equivalent of the Kaze Tate, but the sand adds in a potential attack ability if used correctly. Low A-Class jutsu.

(Naruto) **Katon: Karyuu Saikou Kyuuzou/**_Fire Release: Fire Dragon Supreme Explosion_--The second jutsu that Naruto learned from the Forbidden Scroll of Seals. Because of the jutsu's extremely high chakra and precise control requirements, this is commonly considered an S-Rank jutsu. The jutsu is very difficult to control, even for a Kage. Should the user gather chakra wrong, not be able to manipulate the fire, perform the fire conversion correctly, or even something as simple as just overpowering the jutsu, it will backfire and incinerate the user just as easily as it would the user's intended target. Because Naruto's alignment is with wind, he has a harder time than many shinobi in the conversion process. But it is entirely thanks to Kyuubi's youki being the very essense of fire that he is able to wield the jutsu at all.


	23. Afterwards

**(Author's Note)** This chapter is dedicated to my new secondary beta-reader (Jesse Douglas) for helping me remember these little details that could (and probably would) happen within a few minutes of the battle. I hope you all love this chapter and thank him for it.

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 23—Afterwards

As the waves of malicious youki disappeared, so did the Suna and Oto-nin. The Suna shinobi were used to dealing with Gaara. They easily recognized the certain feel that all youki had in common. If there was another demon, or worse demon vessel, in Konoha, then the mission was a failure. The Oto-nins, mostly just cannon fodder, were terrified. They fled Konohagakure as quickly as their legs could carry them, to hell what Orochimaru-sama ordered!

With the sudden retreat of the enemy shinobi, the Konoha shinobi all rushed to find the source of the youki. Only the fastest of the Jounins arrived in time to see Naruto fall unconscious near Gaara. Even to those that didn't know of the Kyuubi easily figured it out in that instant why Naruto was so powerful.

"Gai-san! …Kakashi-san!" a scared, breathless Chuunin called out as he approached. "Is it…?!"

Gai and Kakashi both looked back to see hordes of their remaining forces fast approaching. All had visible signs of fighting and exhaustion on them. They looked like they'd rather run in fear of the demon than face it. And with good reason, since not even all of their comparable strength could come near it.

"Yes, my friends!" Gai yelled back. "You need not fear! The monsters have left us in peace!"

Privately, Kakashi was grateful for the eccentric man's loud voice for once. He was too tired to really raise his voice that loudly to be heard by all. He had been fighting with all his strength and with the Sharingan exposed, his chakra was depleting much quicker than he preferred.

Returning his gaze to genin and Sannin on the battlefield, Kakashi tried to understand what could've caused such a large crater. Based on the wildfires that were still being extinguished by the frogs, the heat in sand and glass shards under his feet, and the heat waves that were distorting the air around them, a Katon jutsu must have been used. But he was positive that Jiraiya-sama wouldn't use a jutsu that could do this so close to Konoha and some genins that had the misfortune of being too close. Besides, the Gama Yuendan was tricky jutsu to use, even for a Sannin.

But he suspected it wasn't the Gama Yuendan no Jutsu that did this. And he didn't know of any other Katon jutsu that was large enough, nor powerful enough, to cause damage to this extent. The blast radius was close to a mile wide and slowly growing. It was in the general shape of a circle, not the randomness of a spray of oil. The only jutsu he could remember that could do something like that was a simple Goukakyuu. But unless it had been greatly enlarged and formed to make a bomb…of some…kind…

Now he remembered! He'd once heard his sensei talking about it once. It was a powerful, but extremely dangerous Katon jutsu. Back in the times of its usage, it was rare for the user to even live to see the damage he'd done. It was so powerful that it was one of the first jutsus that the Shodai Hokage had sealed away in the Forbidden Scroll. And he was pretty sure that Jiraiya didn't know this jutsu personally.

That left only one person that he knew of who had seen the scroll recently. And that same person had a well-known history of hiding his jutsus and keeping secrets from others. This would require a considerable deal of interrogation on Naruto, and Kakashi made a mental note to point out the dangers of using that jutsu.

* * *

All was peaceful in the Hyuuga compound. In fact, that single compound had been the only place that wasn't attacked by the enemy shinobi. It wasn't that they were afraid of the Hyuuga…too much. But it was that an entire compound of those freaky white-eyed bastards would be too difficult to attack, even in force. 

Yet despite the false sense of tranquility, a meeting of vital importance to the clan's strength and effectiveness was in progress. Well, in the minds of the men that were attending it. They had been at it since shortly before the fighting broke out, when word of Neji's defeat reached them.

Unconcerned with the safety of their village, even if it was taken they could always save it again, they continued to discuss and review what was known about the battle. It quickly became clear to them that Neji had not only lost, but had been _crushed_ and _humiliated_. Their clan's brightest and most skilled young star had been beaten by the whelp, Uzumaki.

Not only had he beaten Neji, he had also revealed an extensive library on jutsus that they had never knew existed or could exist. The boy's first was the Oboro, it had only inhibited the Byakugan. Then there was the fact that he'd apparently altered an already existing jutsu that seemed to have similar effects as their legendary taijutsu. But the final jutsu, the one that alarmed them the most, had been able to do what was previously thought impossible. It had penetrated and destroyed a Kaiten that Neji wasn't supposed to know how to do!

The boy was blatantly mocking their right as the best clan in Konoha! It was also made quite clear that the brat had developed those jutsus specifically to enrage the Hyuuga. After all, the boy had never shown any of those jutsus before until earlier this day. Therefore, it was with this in mind that they came to a rational decision in a civilized manner.

"The brat must be destroyed!" one of the Hyuuga councilmen bellowed. "He's making us look like lightweights!"

"Honorable Councilor," Hiashi said sternly as he entered the chamber. Though there was no visible sign of battle on the man, he was breathing noticeably heavier than normal. All talking came to an abrupt halt as the gazes of the collected men landed on him. "Sit down."

"Ah, Hiashi-san," said one of them. "How is Konoha?"

"The battle is over," he said simply, in a cool voice. "Now, what is the meaning of this meeting and why haven't I been informed of it sooner?"

"But Hiashi-sama surely you know why," said another. "The demon brat is openly humiliating us. And I know you felt the Kyuubi's youki only a moment ago. The demon's taking control of him."

Hiashi's face was a perfect blank stare. There was not a sign to betray the man's thoughts or feelings, a true Hyuuga. But that didn't stop him from quietly saying, "It would seem that the youki has disappeared, Honorable Councilor."

"We can't allow this disgrace to go unpunished," said Hyuuga Higyou, the oldest and most wisest of the councilors. "If Konoha believes we can be beaten by such an insignificant ant like Uzumaki, they will no longer respect us. Should we allow him to go unpunished, it will only increase."

"I say we petition the village council to execute the boy," said the first councilor that had spoken. "That should handle all our problems in an instant."

"The council does not have that power," Hiashi and Higyou said simultaneously.

"What do you propose we do about this situation, Hiashi-sama?" Higyou asked pointedly. There was an old gleam in his eyes, as though he were expecting the man to ask something that could ruin his credit in the council. If so, then his own power would strengthen considerably.

Closing his eyes in thought, Hiashi put aside his personal feelings on the boy. This required the cold indifference he was so famous for to look at the situation in a logical way. However he knew that there was simply no way that the Hyuuga clan could do anything about this upstart. Not without having to show that they were quite vulnerable and, Kami forbid, afraid of one little blonde.

Unlike the council members, the Branch family members that were designated as the councilors' bodyguards hadn't been too terribly surprised to have witnessed Naruto beating Neji. If the branded men had learned anything from the 'Hyuuga Incident,' as it had come to be called, it was to never expect that he knew the boy's capabilities.

At the time of the incident, everyone had thought that the boy was useless whelp with no talent aside from the Kyuubi. But when he had managed to do what had never been done before, many of the Hyuuga's all-seeing eyes had been opened. They began to realize that they had only seen what the boy wanted him to. Why should it surprise the Hyuuga council to learn that Naruto had somehow made a series of jutsus that could compete and even beat the Hyuuga?

One Branch member also saw something that only a few had bothered to look for. If the boy was able to wield the Kyuubi's youki, intentionally or not, only increased his level of potential dramatically. If the Hyuuga was correct in his assumption, then the boy's descendants would probably be as skilled or even more-so than their father. What if…?

"I propose…" the Hyuuga Branch member found himself speaking, even without making a conscious decision. It was only too late that he realized that he was speaking and that everyone was looking at him. "I propose, Honorable Councilors, to…bring the boy into the cla--"

The man didn't have the chance to finish his sentence when the most excruciating pain in his life exploded from his curse seal. The poor Hyuuga was dead within seconds under the extreme pain, not even having the time to scream. Hiashi spared the dead man a glance before turning a fierce gaze upon Higyou, who was slowly lowering his hand.

"To suggest such a thing," Higyou said, speaking for many of the gathered councilors. "is treasonous to our clan."

Taking a breath, Hiashi slowly let it out. As it left his body, his indifference returned. Thinking carefully on the matter, he suddenly gained an insight that he'd missed before. When he spoke, it was with an authority that demanded absolute respect.

"I understand what he was trying to say, Higyou-san," taking another breath, he continued, "My honorable clansmen, surely we could induct the boy into our clan. That way we will have the right to place the seal on him."

Whatever complaints or barks of outrage that were planned for such a suggestion were immediately silenced as the wide-spectrum of possibilities were suddenly made clear to them.

"Furthermore," Hiashi continued. "That would give us the authority of not allowing Uzumaki to use or instruct those jutsus to others ever again. Thus, when he dies, so will they."

This realization brought even further agreements and acceptance to the idea.

"And finally," he concluded. "should we incorporate his blood into ours, our strength would increase dramatically."

It was only out of respect that the councilors waited for him to finish his speech before voicing their immediate and unyielding denial. Hiashi had to suppress the urge to sigh in defeat. There goes that chance. He'd actually been slightly looking forward to activating the seal the second it was on the brat..

It was quickly decided that the Hyuuga clan would rally with the protesters that were quickly starting to gather. The protesters were calling for the death of the demon brat, claiming that his demon was finally starting to rear its ugly head.

* * *

Not too far away, another council meeting was taking place. And like the Hyuuga clan's council, they too were thinking things through in an _orderly _and _rational _manner. 

"The demon is back! We can't delay it any longer, it must be destroyed now!"

"We've been listening to the Sandaime Hokage for years," agreed another. "He said it was safe and look at this! I agree!"

"But surely you realize that it has disappeared by now?" asked one of the few people who had a rational minds at the time. "Perhaps we should wait before--"

"No! We must act now!"

This was only a tiny proportion of the debates taking place when Jiraiya walked in carrying an unconscious Naruto over his shoulder. The bickering councilors froze for a moment as they took in the man who just entered. Then they saw the battle-damaged blonde slung over his shoulder like a bit of luggage.

"Why am I not surprised?" Jiraiya asked as he noticed their almost fearful gazes.

"Jiraiya-sama!" one of them growled. "Get that beast out of here! Surely you above all of us know it's not safe!"

Jiraiya ignored them as he strolled boldly into the center of the room. He gently laid Naruto down in the middle of them. Then standing, he looked each of the men and women on the council in the eye as he spoke. "Tell me, Honorable Councilors, does this boy look like some horrid beast out to destroy us?"

The sleeping boy lay on the floor, blissfully ignorant that his life was in danger. The councilors, some retired shinobi, could clearly see the signs of heavy battling on him. His missing shirt, filthy and bloodied chest and arms, and slight panting breath were clear indicators. The retired shinobi among the council involuntarily felt something akin to curiosity as to what could cause him to come into such a condition.

"Jiraiya-sama, have you gone mad?" demanded a councilor. "Get that demon away from here before it wakes up and kills us all!"

Jiraiya thoughtfully hummed in his throat as he glanced absentmindedly down at the blonde. "Doesn't look like he's going anywhere to me," he muttered. Looking back up at the council, he continued, "Surely, you're not planning on killing your savior, are you?"

"Surely, Jiraiya-sama," the councilor said, regaining his composure. "you at least felt the huge amounts of demon chakra only a moment ago. The Kyuubi returned and took control of the brat. If it decides to do so again, I know that even you couldn't stop it."

The one man openly showing the 'calm and cool' that the council was so famous for restored the councilors' composure as well. Even though they were seated in a circle around the white-haired Sannin, it suddenly felt as though they were gathering behind the man in terms of support.

"The seal is weakening," another spoke up. "We all know it. Why else would the fox would be able to come out?"

"Because Naruto called it out," Jiraiya said carefully. Before the inevitable eruption from the councilors, he continued, "He was hurt, and mad. The Suna Jinchuuriki had overpowered him apparently and left him for dead. He was coming back to Konoha to kill all of you, the Suna Jinchuuriki that is. But I was able to stall him long enough for Naruto to return and stop him."

"Do you realize what you're saying Jiraiya?" the ever persistent councilor asked, as though he were speaking to an ignorant child. "If the brat can summon the demon's youki, it's only a matter of time before it kills us. That's why we must kill it now, while it's still weak."

"You do realize that Naruto had just saved all of your lives from the Ichibi, right?" Jiraiya asked, exasperated.

"You do realize that it was probably because he wanted that pleasure for himself, right?" a woman councilor asked, mimicking the Sannin's tone.

"Yes," another said, speaking up before Jiraiya. "and that is among the other reasons we must kill it now."

It is rare for a man of such experience in a certain area to be surprised. But when two of the councilors suddenly unsheathed kunai, Jiraiya was left just dumbfounded. Wasn't there an explicate law _against _bringing weapons to council meetings? In just about _every _country and nation in the world?

But before the councilors could bridge the ten-foot gap between themselves and Naruto, there were numerous dark blurs racing into the room. In one form or another, the attacking councilors were halted by an extremely fierce looking Jounin.

The more of the two could only gape in surprise at the woman and her canine partner in front of him. The anger in her eyes was considerable, as well as the killer intent. But her killer intent paled in comparison to her dog's intent, the large fangs added a nice primal terror factor to the display. The man had always felt of himself as a man who could keep his cool under even the worst glare. But as he stared at Inuzuka Tsume's deadly gaze and her dog's angular teeth, he found himself trembling against his will.

His fear was enough to cause him to put up no fight when Tsume snatched the kunai out of his hand. The movement, much too fast for his inexperienced eyes, was enough to have him drop to the floor. How could this be happening? His shinobi, his own personal tools, were turning against him? All over a container whose demon was about to break loose? The fools didn't realize he was trying to save all their lives?!

"He," a new voice said from the doorway. All heads turned to see Kakashi, Gai, and numerous other Jounin in the village enter the room. "That isn't a beast, Honorable Councilors," Kakashi drawled, for once not having his nose in his book. "That is a young shinobi by name of Uzumaki Naruto. But I need not tell you that as it was you who had bestowed it upon him."

"What is the meaning of this?" one of the councilors demanded. "This is a private meeting in progress."

"Honorable Councilor," Gai said, in a serious voice. "Perhaps you have forgotten the Fifth Law of the Shodai Hokage?"

All of the councilors paused as they tried to recall the law. Seeing that they were having trouble recalling it, all the collected shinobi quoted it. "'_No member of Konohagakure's shinobi force shall be unlawfully prosecuted, retired, or executed without just cause and without the Hokage's permission_.'"

"And with Sandaime's passing," Jiraiya continued, sadness coloring his voice at the mention of his sensei's death. "There is no Hokage until you have chosen on a successor."

For a moment, all was quiet in the council chamber except for the fitfully snoring of the blonde boy that was the cause of the meeting.

Though she had remained surprisingly silent during the duration of the 'meeting,' Koharu knew it was time to speak up. If the tempers of the councilors and shinobi reached a boiling point, something could happen that might endanger the safety of the village in more ways than one.

"Then perhaps it is time to focus on who that successor shall be," she said levelly. "Surely you would be a good candidate, Jiraiya-san?"

"Absolutely not!" several councilors snapped. There was no chance that they'd allow that man to become the Godaime Hokage. It was unthinkable, given his internationally known habits and hobbies. The fact that he didn't hide the knowledge that he was Naruto's new sensei was an even bigger smear on the man's worthiness, in their eyes at least.

And, thankfully, by the law of the Nidaime Hokage, the council was permitted to select, test, and approve the appointment of the new incoming Hokage. They weren't gonna have that right taken from them as easily as the other. Though, in the end, it was the choice of the village shinobi who would be their new Hokage.

_We just have to pick someone who'll listen to our pleas,_ was their collective thoughts_. But someone who is also strong enough to fight the demon if it escapes._

* * *

That evening was filled with countless surges of emotion from the villagers and shinobi alike. Those who had lost a dear family member or close friend were weeping or trying to find some ways of venting their sadness. Others were trying to understand what it was that they had felt when that enormous explosion had taken place. Like the pair of genin that were gathered near a bench by the Shinobi Academy. 

"Are you sure what you're saying?" Sakura asked in disbelief. How could Sasuke even begin to consider such a thing? "I mean, if it were true, wouldn't we have heard about it sooner?"

"I'm sure, Sakura," the Uchiha growled dangerously. He was very quickly losing his temper to Sakura's insistence on not believing his theory.

"Are you sure it isn't a new or unknown bloodline limit?" she asked. "I mean, Konoha has nearly as many blood limit users as Kirigakure."

"A bloodline that powerful wouldn't have stayed hidden or unknown for very long," he said. His face, though it was a careful mask of cold indifference with just a hint of anger in his eyes, darkened noticeably.

Sakura stared at Sasuke in surprise. Then she considered his words and realized he was correct. A bloodline that could empower the user to be many times that of his original strength would most definitely not be kept hidden. Konoha, or any other shinobi village, would've been trying to flaunt its strength. Plus neither of them had ever heard of such a bloodline, having once studied Konoha's supply of limits in the Academy. Also all bloodline limits were famous in way shape or form. If Naruto's was indeed a bloodline, then it probably would've held more prestige than even the Sharingan or Byakugan!

"But why wouldn't we have heard about it sooner?" she persisted. She didn't want to believe it, refused to believe it. But the pieces were beginning to fit together, a little _too _well.

"Because…they were forbidden from talking about it," Sasuke guessed.

He couldn't believe he hadn't figured it out sooner. It really struck a nerve to know that Naruto could hide such a thing from him for so long. If it had taken him this long, then was he really that…**_WEAK?!?!?!_**

The two teammates were quiet for a moment. Then Sasuke pushed himself away from the small stone wall he had been leaning against. His action drew Sakura's attention as he started walking away at a controlled pace. Sakura, having come to recognized his body's subtle movements based on his moods, instantly knew where he was going. Based on his rigged shoulders, he was angry. His hands were clutched into fists and his arms were swinging stiffly at his side. He was taking measured steps, no step reached farther than a half-inch away from its previous one.

He was angry. He was going somewhere to vent it before he snapped and hit someone.

* * *

Punch. Kick. Punch. Punch. Kick. 

That was he wanted to do. That was what he was trying to do. But in his mind flashed the fresh memories of his blonde-haired teammate. The swarms of instantly recharged blondes pummeling Gaara. Naruto sending Gaara crashing into the ground with that 'Rasen-something' jutsu.

Sasuke following punch was enough to split the training log in two. Absentmindedly cradling his slightly throbbing hand and knuckles, he realized something that he had always thought would never happen. He was inferior…to the dobe of all people!

But he was an UCHIHA!! _No one _was superior to an Uchiha, except another Uchiha! He was supposed to be the best. He was supposed to be an elite of the elite. It was what he had to and wanted to be. Greater than everyone else, especially that man he wanted to kill so badly. But now he learned that he was anything but that.

He had not only been surpassed, but he had never truly been the best. How long had the dobe hid in the dark as Sasuke stood atop the pedestal that everyone had built for him? How long ago had his own personal skills been overshadowed by the one that no one respected? How long had the blonde been laughing at him behind his back as he relished in the glory of his limelight? How could the dobe even surpass him in the first place?

Thoughts similar to those had been running through his mind for the past few hours. It was only when he and Sakura began brainstorming that he began to understand. The two possible reasons that they came up with both seemed reasonable and understandable. But there was no denying that what the blonde possessed was _not _a bloodline limit.

He had to be a demon-host. Because only a demon vessel could unleash such enormous powers like the blonde and red-head had at their age. The feel of the chakra that they had wielded had been as terrifying as they had been similar, but different from normal chakra.

In the back of his mind, he knew that he shouldn't be jealous of something that he didn't and could never have. But his pride greatly overruled that notion. How could he have allowed himself to be overwhelmed by Gaara-teme first, then realize that he had been long ago been overshadowed by the one person he had always believed to be inferior to him? It was as crushing to him as that Katon jutsu had been to the Ichibi.

This thought brought with it a curiosity that overrode his crushed pride for a moment. He had seen Naruto use two jutsus that he'd seen before. The first was that Rasen-something jutsu. The next was that Katon jutsu. Where had the blonde learned those jutsus?

His anger was once again ignited at the memory of his extremely brief explanation to Kakashi about the jutsus. The man had clearly been shocked and had descended into disbelieving muttering. It was clear to Sasuke that those jutsus each held some sort of significance. The Katon jutsu he could easily understand, just based on the damage it was probably some kind of forbidden jutsu. But that Rasen-something jutsu was another matter.

He anger and jealousy sufficiently swelled again, Sasuke threw himself back into the routine he'd been taught by Kakashi. He had to get stronger! And he was going to beat Naruto if it was the last thing he ever did, never mind Itachi.

Itachi may have killed his family and clan, but he had always been acknowledged as stronger than Sasuke. Even Sasuke, somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, acknowledged that he'd always be looking up to his brother in terms of ability. Not that he'd _ever _admit to that, even under pain of death. But Naruto had hit a personal nerve, by pretending to be far weaker than he truly was and allowing Sasuke to build up an ego based on false assumptions.

A growing obsession began to rise inside him. A need to prove once and for all that he was better than Naruto. His pride and honor demanded it!

* * *

Sakura found herself wondering Konoha with no real destination in mind. Outwardly, it would seem as though she was just lost in her thoughts. And while that was actually quite true, it failed to define exactly the events occurring inside. A better phrase would've been that her mind was a war zone as her logic battled against her beliefs and hopes. 

It just couldn't be true. It shouldn't be true. How could Naruto be a demon host? Why was he the host? How long had he been one? Did he know, and if so for how long? Was he in danger of getting possessed, or killed by the demon? What would happen if he ever turned that power against anyone who wasn't an enemy? Would he lash out at Konoha? The villagers and shinobi who hated and punished him with a passion? Sasuke? Her? Endless questions, based on a somewhat well-founded fear since watching him wield that red chakra--youki, she corrected herself.

Belatedly, she realized now just why the villagers and many shinobi hated him. Hadn't her own parents always told her to stay away from him, the demon brat? Hadn't she'd always seen him show up late to class in the academy with fresh scrapes and cuts that he'd always refused to talk about? Hadn't she always seen people throw things like empty bottles, trash, rocks, even an occasional kunai or shuriken at him until shortly after their third year in the academy (when he had finally gained enough awareness and speed to dodge)?

It all seemed so surreal to her. Why hadn't she, as book-smart as she was, not been able to put the things into perspective sooner? Then again, back before Team Seven, she'd always ignored him. Even hated him for petty reasons, which he no longer practiced, like begging her for dates.

After having him as a teammate for more than five months, she'd fast come to know how secretive he was. That, in itself, was surprising based on how loud he was. Sure he was quick to laugh or speak his opinion, but he rarely spoke of himself or his desires, aside from becoming Hokage. But even that outspoken statement had begun to lessen as he grew more serious with his jutsus lately.

The thought of his secretive nature brought with it a bittersweet feeling. Bittersweet because of the painful lesson she'd learned when she'd tried to learn more about his secrets. Now she suddenly felt as though she could understand him.

This realization brought her to a halt in the middle of the street. She realized why he hid stuff, be it jutsus, his hobbies, or this terrible secret. He hid them because he believed that they were his burden to bear alone. He hid them because he didn't think people would react positively toward them. He hid them because he was a shinobi…

"Deception…" she whispered to herself, suddenly remembering an academy class from years ago. "is a shinobi's most useful weapon."

Naruto truly was the Number One Most Surprising Shinobi of Konoha. For some reason, this brought a small smile to her face as she felt her mood begin to lighten.

* * *

_Curse you, old man!_ Orochimaru seethed for the umpteenth time. _You and your little fox-boy too_. 

He, Kabuto, and the Sound Four were nearly a day's sprint from Konoha; shinobi style of course. Hunter-nins, if there were any brave or foolish enough to hunt this particular party, didn't show themselves. But if they were being followed mattered little to Orochimaru. Though it would be a touch more difficult, he could still soundly defeat any ANBU that dared show his face, even without his arms.

The group had only stopped to bandage their wounded leader. The Sandaime, though drained of enough chakra to finish it, had apparently lived up to his boasts of permanently disabling Orochimaru's arms. Even while Kabuto was telling him of the extent of his injuries, Orochimaru only had half his mind on it.

He knew what had gone wrong with his perfect plan. There were three key factors that he'd failed to truly take into account. The first and most direct to his well-being was his own arrogance. It pained him far more than the burning of his sealed arms to admit that to himself. Orochimaru had been so caught up in the moment of finally killing the one of the only men who could oppose him that he dragged out the battle, trying to show how superior he'd become over the Sarutobi.

The second factor was that brat Gaara. Forgetting entirely about his mission and trying to summon the Ichibi beforehand just to defeat the Uchiha. It had left him vulnerable. Which Sasuke had instantly exploited, he proudly acknowledged. Yet because of that, Gaara had been experiencing enough mental trauma that he had to be taken away from the battle for his own safety. If Orochimaru could've, he'd have killed the brat there and then for disobeying his wishes. But be that as it was, the Shukaku had still come out and even was on its way back to Konoha.

Then the last factor came into play, Uzumaki Naruto. Though he was certain that the boy was the reason for the Ichibi's unleashing, the same could be said in regards to the Kyuubi and Gaara's provocation. The blonde brat had drawn out far more youki than even Orochimaru thought he was capable of and destroyed the Ichibi before it could reach Konoha. While the boy's life was no doubt being threatened by both the people and the corrupt councilors, the damage was done. He had saved Konoha, despite all of Orochimaru's careful plans.

The Sound Four and Kabuto all recognized the venomous gleam in their master's eyes. It went without saying that they suddenly went extremely silent, not wanting to draw his wrath upon themselves.

* * *

Jiraiya glanced back forlornly at Konoha's gate in the dwindling light of the evening. It hadn't been too long ago when he had returned to Konoha, on Sandaime's request. Now he was leaving to find Tsunade, his long-missing teammate. The council had ordered him to find her and bring her back to Konoha with all due haste. They claimed that they couldn't run the village very easily without a Hokage. 

He scowled at their excuse when they made it, and he still did. It had been painfully clear why they wanted him to get her. She was one of the few who could challenge him. He knew they were planning on turning her over to their side of reasoning, use her as a puppet to fulfill their wishes. And the fact that Jiraiya also hated to tickle her temper was a _well-known _fact increased their desire for her even more.

But truthfully, she was the only one currently who could hold the position. Hold the position and actually do a creditable job, respectfully as well. No matter how violent she could get in one of her drunken stupors.

The only thing he carried with him was a small bag over his shoulder. It was simple rucksack, yet whatever was inside it must have been quite bulky. For there were various bugles in the matter at random angles. But it didn't seem too heavy, at least not for the man.

Yet had any Hyuuga looked into it with their Byakugan, they'd have seen a blonde-haired boy inside it. The Hyuuga would've been quite curious as to why the boy was unconscious and resting peacefully inside the bag as Jiraiya walked away.

But there were no Hyuuga to do such an act.

He didn't have a choice in the matter. Jiraiya had to bring Naruto with him for the boy's own protection. There was no telling what the villagers would do once they recovered. Naruto had also yet to wake up from the colossal amount of youki and chakra he'd used. Jiraiya was willing to bet the boy would be out cold for the next three days at most.

The reason for why he carried the boy in a rucksack was simple. Should the council believe he was taking Naruto along, they'd order him to remain while they sent out a squad of ANBU to find Tsunade. It was a good thing that Jiraiya was an expert and experienced shinobi.

* * *

**(Author's Note)** I hope all you liked this chapter. It was a real pain in the ass to write, especially when I had to diagnose myself with a mild case of writer's block for almost three weeks straight. But at least I finally got this one out. 

I can't help but be very happy with my betas right now. Without them, this chapter would've turned out to be much worse than it is.

I could've had this chapter up several days earlier. But I wanted to post it today simply because it's my second anniversary of being on this site.

I wonder how many of you can guess what's actually going to happen in the next chapter. We all know that that is when Itachi finally comes back into the picture. But I have come up with an entirely new scenario (well, for the most part). Let's see if any of you can guess it right. If you do, I'll dedicate the next chapter to all who did. Have fun!!


	24. The Fallen and the Falling

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 24—The Fallen and the Falling_

"I trust you understand what will happen should your men fail," growled a shadowy figure. The figure was dressed in a nondescript cloak with the hood up and pulled so far forward that the majority of the person's face was hidden.

"They won't fail," said a second figure, who appeared to be nothing more than an average Chuunin. But the man's eyes were churning with emotion, or rather unbridled rage. One look into those eyes were enough to convince even a blind man that he spoke the truth. "But if they do, they shall face a fate worse than death."

Snorting at the man's arrogance, the cloaked figure nodded. "Make sure of it," the figure said. "But are you positive of their chances? The creature is with _that _man after all."

"It will be taken care of," the Chuunin stated, dismissively. "My men are not fools."

"Indeed," the figure said, quite unconvinced. "Then explain how the demon was able to leave without you knowing?"

"It got lucky," the Chuunin said, dismissively once again, as he glanced over his shoulder. Good, no one had noticed the pair's conversation in this alley yet. The man's eyes never lied. But then again, no one was really up at this hour of the morning anyway. Turning back to the cloaked person, he concluded, "It won't happen again."

"Be sure that it doesn't," the figure said, sensing the meeting was drawing to a close. "The village is unsettled. Some of the people are starting to call the thing a 'hero.' I want it killed as soon as possible...Find me when they have returned with the results."

As the cloaked person was turning to leave, it suddenly stopped and tossed over its shoulder one last parting piece of advice. "Tell them to make it _very_ bloody."

"With _pleasure_," the Chuunin said, with a nasty sneer and pale eyes glowing in anticipation, before vanishing in a whirlwind of leaves.

* * *

It had taken some time before Naruto finally woke up. When he did, he found himself lying on a bed that was much too comfortable to have been his own. Normally he had a few rusty old springs in the mattress digging into random portions of his back, through the wad of blankets he'd put on top of them. Because he wasn't use to such comfort, he woke up rather quickly after he recognized the feel of silk and feathers. 

"Finally up?" asked a familiar voice as he sat up with a gigantic yawn. "It's about time. You had me worried there for a while."

Looking around the room quickly, Naruto spotted his part-time sensei sitting at a table. He had a bundle of papers in front of him with a pencil in one hand, quite obviously in the process of writing his latest chapter of his perverted books. He had a cheerful grin on his somewhat flushed face as he looked over at the blonde.

Jiraiya had to fight to keep a knowing grin off his face. When they had arrived at the motel and Jiraiya had opened up the rucksack to remove the boy, he saw something that he'd never have imagined the boy would be doing. The little blonde was gently sucking his thumb, like a little two-year-old might do. If it weren't for the fact that the boy's expression was that of blissful ignorance, he would've erupted in loud laughter. Oh, that image was forever ingrained into his memory. Maybe he should add something like in his next book…

"Ero-Sannin?" the blonde asked groggily, feeling unaccustomedly sleepy. "Where am I?"

"You are about two-days travel from Konoha," Jiraiya said as he returned his attention to his work, ignoring his student's gawking face. "in a motel room I've rented for the week."

"What?" Naruto gasped, looking out the nearest window. Indeed, he didn't recognize the small village that lay before him at all. Turning back to Jiraiya, he asked, "Why--how come we--what's going on?"

"Do you remember what happened after you used the Kyuubi's youki?" Jiraiya asked levelly, putting his pencil aside. Facing the blonde, he saw the boy's blank look. "You defeated the Ichibi in that Suna Jinchuuriki and fell unconscious."

As this news sank into Naruto, Jiraiya continued, "I've been assigned an S-Class mission to find an important woman to bring back to Konoha. Her skills are in desperate need at that moment and I thought you'd like the experience of going on such a mission."

"S-Class?" Naruto muttered. Silently, he entered into his thinking pose. Seeing that Jiraiya turned momentarily back to his work. He had little doubt that Naruto would agree to accompany him, even if he didn't have all the facts. Especially with the little treats he could always bait the boy with.

"I don't want to go," Naruto said when he looked back up again.

That statement had Jiraiya send the blonde a disbelieving gawk. But Naruto ignored the man as he began looking around for any clothes to wear, since he was only dressed in his boxers.

"I want to stay in Konoha," Naruto continued. "Besides, I need to test out this awesome new jutsu I just made…Plus who'd want to go on a mission with a pervert like you, Ero-Sannin?"

Jiraiya's disbelief shifted to extreme annoyance instantaneously. "STOP CALLING ME THAT!!" he cried, only earning a broad foxy grin from Naruto. Seeing that he was playing right into the blonde's hands, he forcefully calmed himself. Then an idea hit him. "Well, if that's how you want it. Okay, go home. I guess I could always teach Sasuke, seeing as you don't want to finish your training."

Naruto's only reaction to that proclamation was a slight twitch of his eye and a fast fading grin. The next second Jiraiya found Naruto practically in his face with a wide, _almost _innocent, smile and bright sparkling eyes. "I'm ready to go when you are, Jiraiya-sama!"

The moment after Naruto was digging through the rucksack, looking for his clothes. Jiraiya couldn't help but to grin sheepishly, wondering absentmindedly if the blonde had used a genjutsu on that face he'd made.

* * *

He was pushing himself as hard as his body could possibly go. Dashing about the top of a narrow rock formation, Sasuke was having a mock-battle with a trio of bunshins while exercising his shuriken aim at the dozen rocks he'd just thrown high into the air. 

So far he'd hit eight of the twelve with his remaining four shuriken still in his hand, ready at a second's notice. As Sasuke was searching for the remaining stones, one of his bunshins darted in. Ducking under the bunshin's kick, he planted one chakra-infused hand on the ground to aid in his following kick to the bunshin's unprotected back. It was due to this act that he spotted two of the remaining stones as they were falling back to the earth.

Dropping his foot back to the ground, Sasuke launched himself up into the air and hurriedly cast a pair of shuriken. They hit dead-center. As he was descending to the earth, he felt the presence of another behind him.

"Fool," his own voice said from behind him. Sasuke had only enough time to glance back before he saw the bunshin's fist coming at his face. It was instinct alone that had him ducking under it, only to see the bunshin's knee approaching his face.

Raising his arms, Sasuke just managed to block the imaginary attack before thrusting a powerful punch into the bunshin's gut. It was destroyed instantly. But he didn't celebrate his victory over it, rather searching for the last two stones.

His time was almost up. Then Sasuke saw them, almost to the ground. Without a second thought, he hurled the weapons in his hands. The force behind the stars was enough to slice the stones into halves and imbed the shuriken into the earth.

Dropping to his knees, his panting was extremely heavy. His body couldn't stand the abuse he was forcing upon it. But he'd ignored it as best he could. He had to get stronger! Sasuke didn't wish to remain as the second best of the Rookie Nine.

_No! _He tried to tell himself. _I can do more!_ With renewed determination, Sasuke dashed forward to restart the exercise.

* * *

The sun was just creeping up over the horizon. A heavy shroud of mists hung in the air like a blanket, dampening all caught in it as well as muffling their footsteps. However, with all the humidity, it was promising to be a very hot day. 

Like a pair of specters, the two cloaked figures drifted into Konoha, silent as the mist in the early morning. No one noticed them as they entered. The Chuunin that had been stationed as the gate guard would later claim that he'd somehow fallen asleep sometime before his shift ended.

The figures had only one objective in mind. The longer they stayed in this cursed village, the more likely that one of them would be recognized. That just would not due since they were on a tight schedule and their leader was not known for forgiveness. Yet they had to wait for at least a few hours to locate their target.

At first they'd tried his well-known points of interest, namely the training grounds and his favorite restaurant. Normal people wouldn't have gotten up at this early hour, but their target was different. It took them longer than they'd have liked to realize that it was a fruitless search. Their prey wasn't training this morning.

Since the sun was now fairly high in the sky, they headed into Konoha for some breakfast. It was at an out of the way tea shop that they stopped. At first, they were just minding their own business as they surreptitiously searched for their target in the crowds of weaklings around them.

Then Hatake Kakashi arrived, sending them instantly on edge and battle-ready. To the common shinobi, they only seemed to have glanced at the man but their muscles had tensed ever so slightly under their cloaks. There was no telling if the man would attack or not. But the man didn't seem to notice them, and if he did, he deemed them as not an immediate threat.

Out of the corner of his single eye, Kakashi glanced over the pair. There was something…wrong about them. Aside from their obvious lack of fashion, it was clear that they were shinobi. Like any former ANBU captain, Kakashi had noticed the men's bodies freeze up when he arrived. It was for this reason that he chose the support beam closest to them to lean on, just to see what was the matter.

* * *

After copying and reflecting Kisame's Suikoudan back at the shark-faced man, Kakashi now stood behind Itachi. For a moment no one said anything, just watching as the two Sharingan users watched the other carefully. 

As Kakashi expected, the pair was in Konoha for a reason. They were looking for something. But as to what that something was, neither nin was willing to tell just yet. It was clear though that whatever they wanted, it couldn't be for any _good _reason.

Kakashi was quick to throw up a Suijinheki at the first sight of an offensive gesture from Itachi. It was as he was momentarily hidden behind the rushing water that he switched positions with a mizu bunshin. It turned out to be a very good thing he did or he would've had a kunai in the back the next moment.

Sending another Mizu Bunshin up to the surface, Kakashi remained under the water. He watched, carefully measuring his breath and suppressing his chakra levels. Gently, the current of the river began to pull him downstream, behind the nuke-nins. As long as he remained out of Itachi's eyesight, the Sharingan shouldn't be able to detect him if he decided to strike from behind.

Kurenai and Asuma stood behind Mizu-Kakashi. The infamous Copycat-nin was carefully examining the situation. While even the three of them were nowhere near strong enough to stop, preferably kill, the fallen Uchiha, they were at least good enough to seriously weaken the young man. But even that chance was greatly reduced due to the fact that he had a powerful partner. Well, they'd just have to strike very fast to disable Kisame so they could focus all their might on Itachi.

That's what he had in mind until he remembered a certain jutsu. A jutsu that he knew was about to be put to very good use. Making his choice, Kakashi covered his Sharingan eye and began to float to the surface.

Just before he broke the surface, he performed the tori seal. Exploding from his tenketsu was his precious chakra supply. Quick estimations told him that he didn't finish the fight within five minutes, he'd most likely lose. If he had been at full strength, rather than recovering from that invasion battle, he'd be able to maintain the Oboro for at least ten to fifteen minutes straight.

He rose in time to see his Mizu Bunshin be destroyed from the trauma of the Mangekyou Sharingan. As quickly as his body would allow, Kakashi flashed through various handseals. Kisame was the first to notice him behind them, he was fast to turn and raise his sword in defense. Itachi turned an almost bored gaze back towards Kakashi. Just in time to see a fair sized water dragon rise up and come racing towards him.

Leaping to the side, Itachi quickly narrowed his gaze on where his Sharingan had shown him to be. What he saw wasn't Kakashi, it was a blinding haze of chakra in the general shape of a human being sprinting for him.

"Itachi-san," Kakashi said as he neared him. "meet the Oboro no Jutsu!"

Reacting out of instinct, Itachi dodged Kakashi's initial attack as he tried to understand what was happening. Kicking out at the man, Itachi landed a solid hit in the man's side. As his opponent recoiled, Itachi glanced over at Kurenai, Asuma, and Kisame as they engaged in combat. Like usual, his eyes were able to predict their next moves perfectly. Returning his gaze to Kakashi, his perfect eyesight once again clouded over.

Snatching a kunai, Kakashi took a stance he'd once promised to never use. But because he was against Itachi, he was sure Gai would forgive him. Dashing forward, he pushed his body to the maximum. As he neared the Uchiha, he spotted Itachi's Sharingan fading to his normal black eyes in desperation. Throwing a fast kick to the young man's face, he thrust his kunai towards Itachi's stomach as well.

Sidestepping both attacks, Itachi threw various punches at the Hatake. Dropping back, Kakashi returned with blocks and his own attacks. The two were moving at speeds that all that normal people would only be able to see were blurs. Though Itachi was clearly the faster of the two, he couldn't see Kakashi properly. Thus most of Itachi's punches were blocked or missed. But all of Kakashi's attacks were either barely dodged or blocked. Pushing forward with serious aggressiveness, Kakashi forced the powerful and feared Uchiha to go on the defensive and retreat.

While he was thrilled at overpowering the nuke-nin, in Kakashi's mind was the silent timer. If he didn't end this quickly, he was going to lose. He could feel his chakra disappearing almost five times faster than it did when he used his Sharingan. He dearly wanted to use his eye instead, if only to help conserve his supply. But then he'd be fighting a guaranteed lost battle, since the Sharingan was Itachi's greatest strength.

Backing away from his opponent for the fraction of a second, Kakashi decided on a change of tactics. Forming the tora seal, he inhaled deeply. This was a little trick he'd seen Naruto use, and it had almost worked.

Itachi drew back, expecting anything. But he certainly wasn't prepared for what Kakashi sent at him, a dense cloud of smoke.

"Enmaku no Jutsu," Kakashi's voice said from somewhere in the dense cloud.

"Interesting jutsu combination," Itachi remarked blandly, hiding his heavy breathing expertly. Now he'd wished he hadn't been so anxious to use his Mangekyou Sharingan.

"I'm glad you think so," Kakashi said in a similar bland voice as he dropped the Oboro and formed a trio of Mizu Bunshins. "I'll be sure to tell my student that you said that."

"And who would that be?" Itachi asked, preparing to escape the cloud. "Surely not my foolish otouto."

"No, it is…" Kakashi said as he came dashing at the shinobi. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

Finally pinpointing the voice's source, Itachi leapt high and away from the cloud. Once he was free of the cloud, he spotted the three Mizu Bunshins in the air rushing at him. Itachi's Sharingan activated instinctively. It was extreme ease he destroyed the water copies.

Landing on the shore, Itachi had only to wait for a second before Kisame was at his side. Itachi had to resist the urge to let a sigh of relief escape him when he spotted Kakashi crouching down on the river surface, panting from the excessive amounts of chakra he'd used, no longer surrounded by the cloud of the Oboro. The Uchiha's relief turned to cold anger and calculation almost instantaneously.

"You claim that the Uzumaki created that jutsu, Kakashi-san?" Itachi asked, almost civilly. If Uzumaki could create a jutsu that could blind the Sharingan…this would most certainly make his job _much _more interesting.

Chuckling as well as he could between pants, Kakashi nodded as Kurenai and Asuma joined him. "That," he said. "…and a lot…more."

"What do you want, Uchiha-san?" Kurenai asked, very much on edge. Itachi and his partner were very good; easily very high Jounin from what she could see. She didn't exactly know what their current stats were, but she was almost positive that neither had been truly taking this battle seriously.

Both nuke-nin were silent. Had she'd asked Kisame the question, she'd probably have gotten an answer almost instantly from the arrogant man. But the Uchiha took his time, considering how much he was willing to tell them or if he should. And Kisame knew better than to answer questions directed at Itachi.

"We are after the Yondaime Hokage's isan," Itachi said calmly.

A small amount of fear rose up in him. Kakashi could help but to silently ask himself repeatedly: _Did he know?_

Naruto was with Jiraiya, the Sannin had informed him shortly before leaving. That was to prevent Naruto from getting put on the nuke-nin list. Since Kakashi was a former ANBU Captain, and Naruto's official jounin sensei as well, it had been quite easy for him to get the ANBU and many of the remaining Jounins to not go hunting after the 'missing' blonde. Did Itachi somehow come across that information while in the village?

That was the last thought that passed through his mind before exhaustion claimed him. But the last sight that he saw was a blur of high-speed green racing toward them. At least with Gai there, Kurenai and Asuma wouldn't be as hopelessly outmatched.

* * *

"Ero-Sannin, how long are we gonna stay here?" Naruto whined. 

If he was going to be stuck with this man, then he sure as hell wanted to do something productive. Jiraiya had promised to train him as they went, but so far the only thing the man had done was peep on the hot springs in the town, go out on dates with whores, as well as various other activities that Naruto had yet to find out about in the last four days that they'd been in town.

Glancing down at the boy who was sitting next to him at the bar they were in. He was mildly surprised to see that Naruto had taken the time to complain before stuffing his face with his thirteenth bowl of ramen. Usually, the boy only spared time for conversation between waiting for his next bowl or after he finished his meal entirely.

Returning to his own modest meal, he answered, "We are going to stay here until you've fully recovered."

"Wha?" Naruto demanded, mouth full of noodles again. Hurriedly swallowing them, he continued, "But I am!…I know! You're just trying to get it on every woman in town, aren't you?!"

That question most certainly turned a few heads in the bar, especially considering a twelve-year-old had said them.

"Shut up!" Jiraiya hissed, glancing at the crowd around them out of the corner of his eye. In a quieter voice, he continued, "As I was saying, you must've overused the…that _secondary _chakra because your reserves are filling much slower than normal." seeing that he had the boy's attention, he continued. "I believe that there are still trace amounts of that chakra still in your system and that it is slowing your recovery rate somewhat. And until that chakra is out of your system, you'll probably continue to recover at the pace you're going now."

Temporarily halting his quest at finishing his latest bowl, Naruto was quiet for a moment, his gaze glazed over in thought. "How do you know?" he asked quietly.

"Call it 'intuition,'" Jiraiya answered, smirking before returning to his own meal once again.

Naruto did too, but at a slightly slower speed. If his chakra supply was taking that much longer to return, then it seemed pretty obvious that he couldn't train while they were here. Ero-Sannin seemed to think that the youki would only dissipate in time, not by training. But if that was true…

"Oh yeah," Jiraiya said as he began digging through his clothing. "I believe you dropped this a few days ago."

In his hand was Naruto's headband, a little bloodied and with a few new scratches, but intact overall. Though it would need a serious cleaning. Naruto took one look at the item before snatching it, uttering a simple, "Arigato!" before stuffing it into his pocket.

Once his newest ramen bowl joined the considerable pile of empty ones, he asked, "Ero-Sannin, what happened to Gaara-san?"

Ignoring the blonde's nickname for him for once, Jiraiya answered between his chewing. "I believe he and his siblings were released from the hospital a few days ago. Though if they were allowed to leave the village, I don't know... Personally, I think they'll be released before we get back there."

"Oh," Naruto said, with a small sad sigh. He'd been looking forward to having a civil conversation with Gaara. Oh well. Then another question popped into his mind. "What am I suppose to do in the mean time?"

Looking seriously down at his apprentice, he considered for a moment. Then, in all seriousness, Jiraiya said, "How should I know?"

The back of his head was rather violently introduced to Naruto's fist for that comment.

* * *

_I'm bored_, Naruto said for the umpteenth time in his mind. He was wondering aimlessly around the town for the last hour. It was still very early afternoon, very much in the dead heat of the day. A heat that had particularly everyone desiring a long trip to the nearest lake or river for some extensive water sports. 

The town was reasonably small compared to Konoha. But it was close to being just as busy. The reason for this was that it was one of the major business centers in Fire Country, producing everything from food to basic housing utilities and most generic shinobi weaponry.

Most people would've been sorely tempted to spend their time shopping in the many shops and stores. Buying superficial equipment and trinkets that they'd never use in their lives. Naruto, having little to no spending money and being kicked out of the stores all his life, had grown accustomed to just staring longingly through the shops' windows.

Outside one particular shop that was selling some very gaudy blankets and rugs, he noticed a small child next to him. The child, a small bleach-blonde haired girl of easily seven or eight, was just staring longingly inside. But her focus didn't seem to be on the blankets.

Curious, Naruto glanced back inside the shop. What he saw was a fair number of customers, as well as numerous other children about the girl's age. Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, Naruto once again glanced down at the girl. It was then that he noticed the look in her eyes. While an adorable gleam of hazel, he could immeasurable sadness, longing, and resentment behind them.

Only a person who had known such feelings throughout their own childhood could recognize the hidden emotions for what they were. To any other person, the child's gaze would've seemed just hollow or empty. Naruto, despite himself, found himself seeing a miniature version of himself at that age.

* * *

He found himself trailing after the girl for hours after that coincidental 'meeting.' Almost instantly he realized that he'd been correct. She was almost in the same situation as he had been. Alone on the street, no friends, parents who were probably dead or been gone for years, hating the world for not having anyone precious. 

He wanted to rush up to her. He wanted to comfort her, give her what he knew she wanted. Give her a helping hand, a friendly ear, a gentle hug. Yet, for some ungodly reason, he couldn't bring himself to do so. He couldn't bring himself to step forward and greet her. And he began to hate himself for it.

It was getting late in the afternoon now. The sun wasn't quite setting, but it was noticeably lower in sky to remind everyone that the day would soon be ending. Naruto and the girl now were in the town park. The girl was sitting on a swing by herself as she watched the other kids playing on the other side of the park.

Compared to the other kids, she seemed very filthy; dressed in worn and torn rags that were clearly too large for her small body. Resting lightly in her lap was an aged teddy bear that she'd found a short while ago in the garbage. She was clutching it tightly, even as she was gently rocking herself on the swing.

Naruto watched her from his place hidden up in a tree. This picture was an all too familiar scene from his younger years, just after he'd been released from the orphanage. He'd just sit on a swing or at the back of the playground for hours, watching the other kids having fun. Now that he thought back on those times, if it hadn't been for the Sandaime and a reluctant Iruka, he would probably have just kept sitting there and watched. Not once getting up to try and have fun with everyone else, just staring and gradually beginning to hate all the other kids because they didn't want to have fun with him.

_I probably would've turned out like a combination of Sasuke and Hinata-chan_, he realized. _Moody, but shy. Quick to anger, but quiet_. It was with thought that his choice was made. Awkward or not, he was going down there. He was going to talk to that little girl, and he was going to get her to smile if it was the last thing he ever did!

But just as he was about to jump, movement caught his eye. He watched as a small boy, clearly a bit younger than the girl, run over to her. The group of kids that the boy had been with watched in curiosity and fascination as the boy approached that weird girl over by the swings.

With his enhanced hearing, Naruto listened in on the boy as he slowed down and stopped in front of the girl. The boy wore a large, innocent smile as he held out a small hand to the girl.

"Hi!" he said happily. "Me Yuujin Kan! Wanna be best friends wi' me?"

A small grin broke across Naruto's face involuntarily. He watched as the girl's eyes widened slightly in her surprise. Then a fiery blush lit up her face as she slowly nodded, a small smile of happiness growing across her face. That small smile, the first one Naruto had seen on her, gave her truly adorable features.

The grin on his face didn't fade as the small boy took the girl's hand and pulled her gently over to his other friends. Closing his eyes as he nodded to himself, Naruto couldn't help but feel as though this was what he had been following her for. To see how someone else could handle themselves in practically the same situation.

The girl would be alright now, he knew. That boy, he also knew, probably wouldn't ever realize it, but in that moment of running over to her to ask her to join him, that boy had made himself a lifelong and extremely loyal friend.

Leaping away from the tree he was in, Naruto landed lightly on a nearby roof. With one last glance at the now smiling and hesitantly laughing young girl, he turned and bounded away. He didn't realize it then, but watching over that girl had reawakened something within his heart. Something he'd somehow forgotten over time.

* * *

It had taken them a while to find the demon. His tracks were very well disguised. There was not a broken branch, misturned leaf, or even upturned soil that would signify a possible campfire. Whoever was with the brat was even better at hiding their tracks than the brat was. And that was saying something, given the brat was extremely skilled in stealth. 

But there was one thing that couldn't be disguised so easily. That was the lingering trail of chakra that all powerful beings left behind wherever they went. It was clear from the faint strand of chakra that they did find that either the demon and his partner were extremely adept at hiding that as well. Or the demon brat was still too weak to leave a noticeable trail.

They followed the trail as it went through the forest, often backtracking, changing directions suddenly, or disappearing high in the air as though they were flying through the sky on wings or something. It took all of their tracking skills to not lose the trail.

But now their perseverance had finally been awarded. They tracked the demon brat to a town not too far from Konoha, by shinobi standards at least. It was quite clear to them that the brat was still in the area. They could very faintly sense that taint of youki in the area. A taint that was far too weak to have been the remnants of its use, like at that battlefield back at Konoha.

He was here. And they were gonna find him.

* * *

He knew Naruto was many times stronger than this. It wasn't right! He should be the one resting, watching as Naruto trained himself to death as he tried to reach Sasuke's level. But it wasn't so. Sasuke was short of breath, muscles screaming in protest, chakra levels dipping down to an extremely unhealthy low, and still nowhere near as strong as his blonde teammate. 

Why? Why wasn't he as strong as Naruto? Why wasn't he _stronger?!_ He was an Uchiha! The best! The elite!! Yet, he'd been surpassed by a mere dobe. The one everyone thought should've failed the genin exam, flunked out of the academy, or at the very least be the most incompetent shinobi Konoha had ever had.

Flashes of dozens of blondes pummeling the half mutated Suna-nin went teasingly through Sasuke's mind. The blonde hadn't only been powerful, he'd been deadly. Utilizing an array of bizarre jutsus and devious tricks that he'd never once considered.

What could Sasuke do? He had excellent speed and considerable physical strength, Kakashi had seen to that. His chakra capacity, while insignificant to Naruto, was greater than the average Chuunin. He'd discovered that his chakra alignment was to fire and electricity, which he was now focusing solely on. He knew several Chuunin-level Katon jutsus, all the basics, a consider portion of Lee's Goken taijutsu, and one Jounin-level Raiton jutsu. That was it.

_I need more!_ He thought desperately, forcing himself to stand. With a false sense of nimbleness, Sasuke dropped down to ground level. After a quick estimate of his remaining chakra, he realized something. He had enough for one Chidori, barely. He might not have enough to survive.

If to reach new levels of strength meant pushing beyond his limits, that meant he'd have to take a gamble.

Punching through the three handseals, he focused his chakra into his hand. The muscles in his hand and arm tensed and tightened, hardening to bring out their maximum strength. That was the secret of the Chidori, Kakashi had told him. While the lightning chakra in the palm of his hand was the point of the spear that his arm became, it was his own body that was the blade. That was how, if he was moving fast enough, Sasuke could cut through anything with this jutsu.

Rushing for the cliff face with his Sharingan blazing, he prepared to thrust the lightning into it. It was as he was taking his last step, an instant before it landed, his chakra vanished.

_No!_ He screamed to himself, even as he winced at the pain of his body trying to feed a dying jutsu what he didn't have. _Focus! Do it!_ In the back of his mind, he forced himself to find the strength he needed to finish this task. _Do it!_ But his mind knew something that he was not willing to accept. He didn't have enough. He wasn't going to make it. _DO IT!!!_ He wasn't going to make it!

Then a memory of Itachi standing over their parents' bodies flashed through his mind. Followed by Naruto, engulfed in youki, breaking through Gaara's almost impenetrable sand shield. They were stronger than he was, and they probably always would be…

"**_NO!!!_**" He screamed as a fresh wave of chakra rushed through his system.

His fading Chidori instantly burst back to life, stronger than ever. His arm broke through the rock, the lightning chakra discharging and kicking up a considerable explosion of dust, dirt, and small debris.

As the small cloud of debris faded, Sasuke noticed a semi-familiar patterned now covering his extended arm. The curse seal had been reawakened at his moment of weakness. But…was it a weakness?

He could feel the chakra coursing through him, following an entirely different inner coil system than his normal one. Was that what this new chakra was? A new brand of his own chakra, only stronger and deadlier than his normal kind? Yes, it was. He could feel it now. His normal chakra was getting sucked into the seal on his neck, transformed, and sent down this new inner coil that he was using.

Now he understood. This chakra that Kakashi had warned him not to use. It wasn't bad, it wasn't evil. It was gift to him from that man, Orochimaru. That's why they didn't want him to use it. They thought that anything related to him was evil. No, his new chakra wasn't evil. It just did what he wanted it to.

And what he now wanted was to strengthen it. It was just more draining than his normal chakra. But because it seemed dependant on his normal chakra, that would mean he'd have to increase it just to increase the potency of the seal.

Then, against his will, the seal began to retreat back up to his neck, Kakashi's seal once again doing its job. As it left him, so did his newfound strength. But that was okay, he figured as he fell back on his back to rest. If his gift could increase his power enough to recreate his Chidori with only a fraction of the required amount, then how much would it increase his strength when he was at full power?

He'd just have to wait and experiment after his little nap. It was only seconds before he fell unconscious that he wondered why Kakashi never showed up.

* * *

**(Author's Note)** This chapter has got to be one of my worse ones to date, I think. In the absence of both my beta-reader's, I had to improvise on Itachi and Jiraiya considerably. You guys don't have to say anything, I already know that they are most likely out of character. What do you think of the scenario though? Sasuke obviously was too busy training to notice that Kakashi didn't show up. Thus he didn't think to go look for him, and accidentally overhear a certain shinobi talking about Itachi. What will happen next? I wonder... 

If you don't want me to mess up another chapter, then here's a proposition.

I'm looking for a new beta-reader. But I would highly prefer someone of some _experience _and with a considerable amount of time on their hands. Also, I'm looking for any _skilled _artists out there who feel up to this challenge. I would like someone to draw a few pictures of various scenes in the story. We'll work out the details later if I chose you. If you wish to respond to either of these requests, please send a message to me via my homepage--NOT BY A REVIEW!!!

Thanks everyone for reading this horrid piece of literature (me being pathetically immature)

_Otoutosan_-- younger brother  
_Isan_--inheritance, legacy  
_Yuujin_--Friend  
_Kan_--Best


	25. Akatsuki

**(Author's Note) **This chapter is dedicated to Ultra Sonic 007 (my new beta) and NoneAvailable (for a little proof-reading) Thanks guys. This chapter probably would've taken much longer without your inspiration.

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 25—__Akatsuki_

That young girl had unknowingly given Naruto much to think about.

It wasn't the fact that he now knew that there were other people out there like him. Not at all; the law of averages dictated that there had to be _some _people who had as crappy a life as he. But that wasn't it.

It was that feeling of understanding he felt with the girl.

As Naruto started thinking back on recent times of his life, he realized that he'd stopped feeling that. He wanted to be Hokage right? Wasn't empathy one of the big virtues that a Hokage suppose to have? _A Hokage is supposed to care for the problems of everyone in Konoha…right?_

So lost in his thoughts, Naruto nearly missed it. He'd been walking down the street, minding his own business. The sun would be setting very shortly and he was honestly looking forward to getting back in his bed after a long day of introverted thoughts. Such a feat that was worthy of the history books, as Sakura and even Sasuke would've said.

It was faint, but unmistakable.

A special brand of soap that was supposedly odorless, used primarily by hunters and shinobi. Even he had used it when he and Team Seven went to Wave Country. While it did do its job covering the user's scent, it left its own unique smell in place of it; a bitter, almost 'empty' scent.

It was a scent that, in the short time he had been here, he'd come to realize didn't belong in this town. The town's economy depended on the manufactured goods it made, not on battalions of hunters or legions of shinobi. So the only shinobi that would be here…would be from out of town, so to speak.

Then he sensed it.

Naruto nearly faltered as the feeling became more paramount in his mind. It wasn't just one person either…no, there were…three of them. The tingling that their killer intents made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He could feel their bloodlust, their desire to kill him.

Killing intent…a very useful utility to any shinobi's arsenal.

The ability to give off killing intent was a part of a person's natural chakra aura. Over years of training, fighting, and killing, it becomes more pronounced depending on the person's psyche. For hardened killers, assassins, and _especially _well-trained shinobi, their intent could become so focused inside their mind that it can often become a part of their personalities.

To others, it's like a big red warning sign.

That was one of the many reasons that the Kyuubi was so feared after its centuries-long existence.

_And that is_ definitely _killing intent_, Naruto thought grimly.

Stretching out his still somewhat limited chakra senses, he found the source of the intents quickly. The three of them were hiding up on a building rooftop at the end of the street.

And they seemed pretty pissed off too.

It would've been best for him to go get Jiraiya to handle the problem. There was no telling who it would be up there; but there were few who could match up to a Sannin. But he was still a good ten blocks away from the hotel and the damnable super pervert. Even then there was no guarantee that the old man would even be in the room, or the building for that matter. _He's probably living it up at some bar, that baka Ero-Sannin_.

His mind was made up.

Taking an abrupt turn into the closest alleyway, Naruto jumped up onto the nearest building and ran up the wall. Reaching the top, he sprinted as fast as he could towards the forest. In the distance, he could feel the three people chasing after him. Their chakra signatures were spiking very slightly, as if they were preparing for a tough battle.

Under normal circumstances, Naruto would've happily complied with them. But while his reserves were finally starting to refill at their normal speeds, he had less than half his chakra capacity. He didn't want to have to fight if he didn't have to. Besides, he'd be restricted to the basics since his Fuuton jutsus used too much chakra in general.

_Oh man,_ he groaned to himself._ I don't need this! _He really wasn't in the mood for a fight right now.

However…there were other options.

A grin came to his face as an idea came to mind. He may not have enough for an intense battle, but far more than enough for nearly four or five Kage Bunshins. _Time for one of my infamous, patented, ultra-cool Uzumaki Tonsou no Jutsus!_

Purposely overshooting his next landing, he fell momentarily out of sight. He used that instant to produce a single Kage Bunshin and sent it out to impersonate himself. Naruto, however, sprinted out into the street as he put on a weak henge of a common, nondescript villager. Playing his role perfectly, he shuffled off down the street, seeming to have an important but unpleasant appointment to attend.

When the three chakra signatures had safely passed him and were a good distance away, he dropped the henge and made a beeline for the hotel. If people were looking for him with killer intents that strong, he must've done something to _really _piss someone off.

_It might be a good idea to hang out around Ero-Sannin for the next few days,_ he realized miserably_. Which means I have to stick around for that repulsive research! ARGH!!_

The horrors of having a pervert for a sensei. At this point, he would have much preferred Kakashi and his cruddy book…

* * *

Naruto frowned deeply. His face was contorted into an expression that could only be called that of pure and honest annoyance. 

The sun had set several hours ago.

And Jiraiya _still _wasn't back yet!

_Where are you, you damn pervert?!?!_ Naruto growled out of irritation, kicking out at the nearest bit of furniture he could reach._ Why do all of my sensei have to be perverts?!?!_

Naruto found himself rapidly descending into an extremely agitated mood. He might actually need the pervert's help and the bastard was probably out partying with an entire bar full of whores and hookers. Why did it have to fall on this night, when he might have a trio of assassins looking for him for some unknown reason? _GAH! This sucks! This REALLY sucks!_

Naruto paced around the hotel room, his chakra spiking each time he was feeling particularly murderous towards the Sannin. In the past week that they'd spent in the town, Naruto had been doing his old chakra molding exercises from the academy. It had helped surprisingly, filtering out the youki by forcing it out of his tenketsu. Naruto had even begun to practice some basic chakra control exercises in an attempt to quicken the process.

Jiraiya had promised that they'd leave very shortly, claiming that he was getting some pretty good leads on the whereabouts of this lady they were looking for. Though when he found the time to get such 'leads' while fraternizing with hookers, Naruto was at a loss.

_Hm, need to check into that later so I can try and find him,_ he decided, albeit extremely reluctantly.

But after a particularly violent outburst of chakra emitted from him, almost forming the Oboro unintentionally, there came a knock from the door. Stopping his pacing, he practically stampeded to the door, hoping to find a certain white-haired Sannin behind it. Though the man was probably extremely drunk by this time…but a drunk Sannin was better than no Sannin, right?

"Finally!" he practically yelled. "Why'd you take so long, you stupid perver-"

What a disappointment Naruto had when he yanked the door open to find himself staring up into a familiar pair of dark eyes. A scowl formed on his face almost instantaneously as his bright, hopeful eyes darkened irritably.

_Sasuke,_ he thought moodily. In his agitation, he failed to take into account the slight but obvious differences between his teammate and this young man.

Before the stranger could say anything, Naruto growled out, "Buzz off, Sasuke! I'm not in the mood for your crap!" and then he promptly slammed the door in the man's face without a word more.

Naruto was just about to resume his pacing when the knocking returned. Letting out an audible growl, Naruto hurried over to the window. He may have a group of shinobi looking for him, but he would feel much more at ease out there taking his chances than dealing with a no doubt pissed Sasuke.

"I thought I told you to 'buzz off!'" Naruto snapped, more than loud enough for most of the hotel to hear him. "Now do it, Uchiha-teme! I'll beat your ass some other time!"

With that said, Naruto leapt out of the window. Mumbling under his breath about 'bastards for teammates,' he now almost hoped to run into the trio of shinobi that seemed to be looking for him. It'd only be a _perfect _ending for this crappy evening!

It was only after he was several blocks away that he realized something. W_ait a second…he was a bit taller… _Naruto paled slightly. _That…wasn't Sasuke-teme._

* * *

"I like this kid," Kisame said with a toothy smirk. "He's got spunk." 

Itachi didn't respond. He merely stared coldly at the closed door for a moment. Taking a small step back, he sent a vicious kick into the flimsy wood and easily split it in two as it went careening inward.

An empty room with an open window greeted them.

One quick gaze around the room confirmed to the Uchiha that the Yondaime's isan was gone.

Kisame blinked. With an almost hesitant smirk, he said, "You didn't have to kick the door down."

Itachi made no reply.

Itachi, Kisame _knew _this from experience, was never one to let his feelings get control of him. But apparently his irritation with the boy was starting to mount. Add that onto the fact that the kid was supposedly the creator of the jutsu that the silver-haired scarecrow had used back in Konoha. Under normal circumstances, Itachi would have never knocked the door down. It went against his own request of keeping a minimum amount of attention focused on their activities.

"Hn, slippery little brat, eh?" Kisame remarked, quite enjoying the sight of the normally unflappable Uchiha in such a temper.

Itachi merely turned around and started to walk away. Kisame followed without another word. Their last target had been a wrinkled old woman. Hardly worth the time it took to get her. _Maybe this brat will be more entertaining to catch than our last target._

It was certainly starting to look that way.

"Kisame," said Itachi, calm once again. "We must pursue him now, while he's still alone. We can't afford to cause another scene."

_Not yet anyway,_ Kisame thought with a feral version of his toothy grin. Oh yes…this job was getting interesting…

* * *

They were furious. 

They'd somehow lost the demon brat! How could that little brat possibly know that they were after him in the first place?

They had remained completely hidden as they spotted him in the crowd, his blonde hair a dead give-away. Even though they were feeling particularly murderous at that moment, they knew that they kept their killing intent under strict control so he couldn't sense them.

But he somehow did anyway.

They hadn't realized that they were chasing a shadow of the boy until it had accidentally tripped and fallen off the corner of the building it had landed on. The resulting impact on the ground with its head destroyed it almost instantly. They had been looking for him ever since.

They had to find him. Not only to restore the integrity of their beloved clan, but to also relieve Konoha of its greatest bane.

Yet, there was one more thing riding on this mission other than honor and pride.

Their very lives.

* * *

Hyuuga Higyou was an extremely influential being in Konoha. 

If he wanted you ruined, or dead, there was a high possibility you would be very shortly.

What he feared most were younglings gaining large amounts of prestige with little to no apparent attempt. A perfect example of this would be the Yondaime Hokage's quick rise into power. And now he saw the growing strength of the Kyuubi's new body as a great threat, more to himself than anything else.

Higyou, in his considerable wisdom, had noticed the precursor signs of change in the Hyuuga clan that everyone else just shrugged off. The first icon of change came from a Branch Member, Hyuuga Neji to be specific.

Speaking of Neji…

Ignorant of Higyou's watchful eye, Neji continued to train. The teenager, though almost unnaturally skilled, was neglecting on training his Jyuuken abilities. But what the boy was doing didn't require the use of chakra. It actually could be argued that he wasn't training at all.

The boy sat in the shade of a tall tree within the Hyuuga grounds, reading over various scrolls about the uses of chakra and the numerous ways to control it. Why a genius like Neji would degrade himself by rereading something he'd learned when he was only three-years-old was beyond Higyou. And that was saying something.

However, it had only taken a mere glance at the boy with an active Byakugan for Higyou to see the reason for Neji's chosen method of 'training'.

Neji's chakra was arranged in a haphazard, almost random manner.

The chakra was also different in color and feel. Rather than the common blue, there was a distinctive green shade to it. A color that only appeared in the hands of a medic-nin. If Neji, who had little knowledge of such things, had this coloring, it could only mean extensive healing was taking place within his body.

Higyou sighed. The fact that a Branch member hadn't only been able to learn, but _master _to a certain degree, two jutsus that were restricted solely for the Main Family completely on his own was a monumental achievement. _One that he should've been decisively punished for, if not for Hiashi's sudden disregard to _certain _clan traditions_, thought Higyou bitterly.

And if it didn't mean that he'd invoke the wrath of the entire, and considerably larger, Branch Family, Higyou would've punished the boy himself. He very much desired to go digging through the boy's memories and pull out all knowledge of the Hakke Rokujuyon Sho and Kaiten with the use of a special kinjutsu he knew.

Higyou's bloodlust jumped greatly at the memory of hearing that his most favorite jutsu of the entire clan had been beaten for the first time in history. He heard the details in excruciating detail, yet he still failed to understand how it could possibly have happened.

This was the second, and probably most potent, icon of change.

The Kyuubi truly was a cunning beast. Only a monster like it could have discovered any kind of weakness in a seemingly perfect defense. But Higyou didn't understand. He'd heard that the beast had been using some kind of Fuuton jutsu, which was strange for a creature of fire.

He didn't understand how the wind of that jutsu, that was claimed to circle his arm, could even enter the Kaiten in the first place. Even if the beast attacked the weakest point of the Kaiten. A point that only the Hyuuga even knew existed.

Was it possible that there was a traitorous Hyuuga among their clan that was feeding the beast, and possibly others, information on their jutsus? This thought made him furious; he always felt that everyone within the Hyuuga were loyal to the clan, and thus him, to the point of stubborn denial of any flaws it may have. But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. No one but a Hyuuga could possibly know of the jutsu's weakness.

Yet the beast seemed have known all along!

There was a spy in the Hyuuga clan! He just knew it. And he was going to find out who it was. Then he was personally going to kill her or him. If a spy was feeding information to others, he had a duty to protect those he could. That, in turn, would help to solidify his position in power.

Then, eventually, his own dream would come true.

But first, he needed to rid himself of these icons of change. While Neji and the Kyuubi boy were still clearly trying to find their identities and what they fought for, they certainly had gained the attention of the entire village. More so than before the battle, at any rate. And the longer they were allowed to grow and rise in power, the harder it would become to dispose of them.

This was one reason why Hyuuga Higyou had remained as one of the most politically powerful and influential people in Konoha and the Fire Country: he rarely took things for chance.

At the first sign of a rival, he'd destroy that person as silently and stealthily as an expert ANBU.

But, for all his abilities, he was still unable to go up and end the life of the icon of change that sat in front of his line of sight. He wanted to do it so badly. But he held in his killer intent patiently and expertly.

The knowledge that the other icon – the foul, nine-tailed beast – would be dead soon was a soothing thought. That creature had been his greatest adversary in the past. He knew that it would be just as powerful in the future as well, without a doubt.

* * *

Naruto was running as fast as he could. 

Behind him he could hear his pursuers following and quickly gaining on him. He didn't stop; he couldn't afford to. Not here, in the middle of the town where there were innocents within throwing range.

As soon as Naruto had sensed the return of the bloodlust from earlier, he had dashed straight for the forest. This time, he had no intention of trying to escape. He wanted to know what they wanted with him, and what he'd done to piss them off so badly.

Naruto ran past the town's boundaries, entering the tree line of the forest. _Yes! Made it!_

Then they caught him.

A strand of nearly invisible wire tied to a pair of shuriken ensnared him as the weapons circled him. He had lost his balance and collapsed in an ungraceful heap on the ground, getting a mouthful of dirt and grass.

As he sat up, spitting out the foul tasting soil, they came upon him.

A heavy foot landed solidly in his side and sent him rolling. Instinct temporarily taking over, Naruto was able to loosen the wires around his legs enough for him to stand up and duck under the next attack.

Using his shoulder as an anchor, Naruto dropped towards the ground as he swept his leg under the attacker's only supporting limb. Not bothering with watching the shinobi fall, he twirled around as he further loosened the wire. The sound of rushing feet forewarned him enough to hop away.

Finally disentangling himself, he was able to throw up his arms to push aside the punch aimed for his face. It was only as he stepped inside the punch to retaliate that he saw who he was fighting. The pale white eyes that were glaring at him could be easily identified from anywhere in the entire world.

He was fighting a Hyuuga? _What the--?!_

It was this moment of hesitation that cost him dearly. The third and final Hyuuga that he'd forgotten about appeared behind him. Naruto, snapping from his daze, had just enough time to glance back at the man and recognize the precursor stance of the Hakke Rokujuyon Sho. "Oh _cra_--!"

The Byakugan user dashed forward and jabbed him viciously with his chakra-enhanced fingers.

Letting out a pained yell as his tenketsu were pressed and sealed, Naruto began to lose his balance. He couldn't do anything to defend himself. It like he was being poked viciously with a thorn each time those fingers landed on him. When the final strike landed, it held enough force to send him tumbling a few feet away.

He lay where he landed, trembling in pain. The Hyuuga trio walked forward until they were in front of him. Glancing up at them, agony in his eyes, he noticed that the two Branch members stood almost protectively behind the Main Family bastard, the one who'd landed the last attack on him.

"What…the…_fuck_…was…_that_…for?!" he gasped out as he fought to get his numb limbs to move.

The two Branch Hyuuga remained impassive as they stared down at him. The Main Family Hyuuga grinned victoriously down at him, adoring this feeling of superiority over the demon.

"That was only a small piece of what's to come, you little yajuu," the man said, his grin turning more malicious with each syllable. "For humiliating the Hyuuga clan, you shall die."

"WHAT?!" Naruto yelled, disgust and disbelief competing for control inside him. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play innocent, yajuu," the Hyuuga growled, his grin turning into a snarl. He kicked Naruto in the stomach, hard. The kick threw Naruto flat on his back, his arms trying to reach to his stomach to cradle it. "You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"What?" he gasped out. Looking up at the trio, he tried to decipher what the bastard was saying. "Are you…still holding a…grudge about… that stupid…prank?"

Almost immediately he realized he'd said the wrong thing as all three of their faces turned positively murderous.

Oh…crap…

Fitting last words.

* * *

"Hee hee hee…" 

Jiraiya hadn't had this much fun since the last time he'd gotten hopelessly drunk and walked into the woman's hot springs, naked at that!

That time had been one of his most cherished memories, especially when his dear Tsunade-hime arrived. Until the unfortunate appearance of his old teammate, Jiraiya had been having the time of his life with the beauties he found there. The best part was that most of them were whores.

Jiraiya had been in the middle of leading a quartet of lovely young ladies, who'd graciously volunteered to model for new characters in his upcoming books, to his motel room when she appeared. The woman was by far the most beautiful he'd seen for nearly ten years. Almost as beautiful as Tsunade-hime.

Due to the fact that he was drunk, Jiraiya almost missed it. But, as he led the lady to the motel room, after ditching the quartet, he sensed something wrong about her chakra flow. It was irregular and was fluctuating quite noticeably, common symptoms of a genjutsu victim.

This revelation quickly roused him from his drunken stupor; he had the uncanny talent of dropping the effects of drunkenness or hangovers should the situation call for it.

He stopped the woman in the hallway and studied her chakra flow carefully, just barely being able to ignore her roaming hands.

There was no doubt. She was under a genjutsu.

Yet whoever had cast the genjutsu must have been in a hurry. Either that, or he simply wasn't very talented with genjutsus. With how badly the woman's chakra was fluctuating, it would've only been a matter of time before either a person with any type of training in chakra noticed it or the genjutsu broke from the pressure. If someone had put this woman under a genjutsu and aimed her at him…

He released her easily from the jutsu by simply touching her, or more accurately he groped her, and injecting a small portion of his chakra to disrupt the haphazard balance of the weak genjutsu. Unsurprisingly the sudden release from the genjutsu was too much of a shock in her body, resulting in unconsciousness.

Picking her up, Jiraiya rushed to his and Naruto's room. Hopefully, if his prediction was wrong, the brat would be there by now. _In a foul temper again for one reason or another, if I know him._ But what he saw from around the corner only confirmed his fears; the door was knocked off its hinges. _Oh GREAT._

Sprinting into the room, he gently laid the lady down on the only bed of the room. He had to hurry to find Naruto; there was no telling who was after him.

But he couldn't just leave the lady lying in the hall…nor could he resist one last grope of her gorgeous body and ample chest.

"Hee hee…" giggled Jiraiya before jumping out of the window.

Then a mask of seriousness descended upon his face as his perverted nature all but vanished. He had to find Naruto quickly, because his suspicions about who was after the boy started and ended with Akatsuki.

If Akatsuki gets their hands on Naruto…

The thoughts going through the Sannin's mind forced him to redouble his efforts.

* * *

It had been extremely boring for it these past few days. Trapped back inside its cage with nothing to do but watch what its host was doing, which was even more boring than not knowing. 

Ever since it had been able to temporarily control the stupid weakling, the demon just couldn't help but pace restlessly inside. That battle with the Jinchuuriki of that weakling Ichibi no Shukaku had been as joyously exhilarating as it was brief. The fact that the damned blonde brat had managed to regain control and suppress its youki had greatly angered the Kyuubi.

The fun part had been just beginning, then the brat wakes up and ends the gore before it could even start! What a killjoy.

The Kyuubi no Kitsune was furious.

But now it watched this current turn of events with interest. Those pathetic white-eyed weaklings caught its host with his guard down and were now in the process of beating the brat mercilessly.

If it could've, the Kyuubi would've smirked with vile deviousness. Extremely subtly, it began channeling its youki into the brat's system.

Maybe it would be able to have its fun after all…

A chuckle echoed through the expanse of the Kyuubi's cage.

* * *

"That's it!" Naruto yelled as his temper suddenly spiked. With an unexpectedly powerful blast of chakra, his tenketsu were forced open. A wave of light-headedness washed over his body; he felt so _light_ all of a sudden. 

Bouncing to his feet, he caught the shinobi flat-footed. They were unable to dodge the sudden swift kick that knocked them to the ground. Backing up slightly, another wave hit him…but this was one of exhaustion. That blast of chakra had drained almost all of his reserves dry.

Dropping weakly to his knees, he watched as the Hyuuga climbed quickly to their feet. At first, fear was apparent on their faces. Fear, because the supposedly incapacitated boy had just reopened his tenketsu. Fear, because they recognized an extremely faint feeling of terror that only came from one creature. Then fury, because this boy had once again overwhelmed the pride of their clan.

"Hyuuga-sama," one of the Branch members said, venom evident in his voice. "May I suggest we end this now?"

"Yes," the Hyuuga Main growled. "Let's."

Before they could make a single threatening movement, a cool voice spoke up behind Naruto. "Why bother?"

The blonde visibly flinched. _What? Who the--?!_

Turning backward to see who'd spoken, he vaguely recognized the shorter of the pair from the motel. The person he'd mistaken for Sasuke. _Him!_

But what really spooked him, as much as the Hyuuga, was that he hadn't sensed, heard, or even smelled the pair's approach.

Ignoring the group's collective surprise, the dark-haired stranger continued, "We'll take him off you're hands." Those creepily familiar dark eyes stared coldly into Naruto's blue eyes. The look the young man was sending him was enough to give him shivers. "He's going to die one way or another."

"Y-Y-You are…!" stammered one of the Hyuuga.

Naruto glanced back to see the two Hyuuga Branch members trembling visibly in fear as they stared at the dark-haired young man. But the Hyuuga Main Family only grinned conceitedly.

"Uchiha Itachi," the Hyuuga said in a mocking tone. "What do you want? Surely not this demon? He's with us."

Naruto blanched at the sound of that name. _Uchiha…? Is this guy related to Sasuke?_ Now the dark-haired young man truly had his attention.

"Well," spoke the taller stranger gruffly as he reached back for the hilt of an enormous, bandaged sword. "Now he's coming with us!"

The arrogant Hyuuga glared at Kisame.

That was a mistake.

In a blur of black and red, the nuke-nin was in front of the Hyuuga, his sword already in mid-swing. The Hyuuga Branch member who'd had the misfortune to be standing on the side of the swing was hit by the tip of the sword in his shoulder. The blow sent him flying as he clutched his broken arm screaming.

The Hyuuga Main Family member was hit with the bulk of the sword in the side of his head. The sickening sound of breaking bone filled the silence of the forest for a moment. Then the man's head literally exploded into bloody pieces of flesh as Kisame completed his swing. The Hyuuga didn't even have time to scream.

A shower of blood rained down on the third Hyuuga. Then before he could react, Kisame had planted a vicious kick into his chest, easily breaking several ribs. The blow was strong to send the man flying backwards a fair distance.

"That felt great," the shark-faced man said with a grin as he returned his bandaged sword to his back. "Nothing like cutting loose every once in a while…" He turned back to his partner only to notice his glare. Kisame shrugged, unconcerned.

"One day your disobedience will be the death of you," Itachi said in his usual flat, empty tone of voice. "You keep on drawing needless attention."

The former Kirigakure Swordsman frowned slightly. Naruto could almost feel the man's resentment at the last comment. "At least we found what we're looking for," Kisame said, turning a predatory look upon Naruto. "Then again, is this brat really the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi?"

Naruto barely contained the flinch at that question. In that instant he realized that maybe these two were probably more than he originally believed. That and what his chakra senses now told him seemed…wrong somehow. Their chakra felt evil; vile, laced with more hatred and malevolence than he ever felt in his entire life. And their _killing intent_… Outwardly they almost seemed bored, yet their auras just screamed murder.

If he hadn't been exhausted, sitting hunched over on the ground, _helpless_, Naruto would've instantly tried to escape. He loved a challenging fight as much as any other shinobi. But these men…no, these _creatures_ had just brutally killed a man and badly injured two others in less than a few seconds and had apparently enjoyed it.

Even Naruto had to draw the line somewhere for how much he was willing to fight.

"Yes," Itachi said, turning his gaze back upon Naruto.

"Why do you want me?" he demanded, glancing at the fallen Uchiha. "I've got nothing you'd be interested in. Besides, I'm kind of on a mission here, so--"

"Your mission's been canceled," Kisame said as he drew his arm back in preparation for the knockout blow to the boy's neck.

"I don't think so," a new, thankfully familiar, voice said.

Kisame turned in time to see a sandaled foot come racing into his face. The kick sent him flying over Naruto, back towards Itachi who hadn't even blinked. Turning an almost angry gaze upon the new arrival, the Uchiha said, "Jiraiya-san."

Glancing up at the tall white-haired Sannin behind him, Naruto realized that he'd never been so happy to see the super-pervert before in his life. Then again, he instantly remembered what the super-pervert had been doing for the past six days straight.

"Oh sure!" Naruto yelled, bouncing to his feet as a fresh wave of energy filled him. "_Now _you decide to show yourself, Ero-Sannin! What were you doing? 'Researching' each and every whore in town? Kami-sama! You're such a low-brow, mother-fucking _man-whore!_"

Jiraiya's relieved expression at finding and saving his new apprentice vanished instantly. He turned eyes filled with empty rage upon his student. "_STOP CALLING ME THAT!! _And watch that _mouth!! _And _stop _cussing at your _sensei_, you _idiotic fool!!_"

"When you stop being a pervert, _ERO-SANNIN!!!_" Naruto answered before turning back to the black robed pair. "Why don't you handle these two first, Ero-Sannin?"

Growling, Jiraiya turned back to the pair as he maneuvered Naruto safely behind him. "Just shut up, will ya?"

Kisame just chuckled at the display. Too bad they had to take the brat; those two were a walking comedy act without even realizing it.

"So…" Jiraiya said, almost nonchalantly. "You guys really are after Naruto."

"Yes," Kisame said, sneering. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"…You won't get Naruto," Jiraiya said with such conviction that it temporarily surprised Naruto.

"And why not?" Itachi asked curiously, even as his Sharingan activated.

"Because right here, right now," the Gama-Sannin said as he took a few paces towards the pair, ignoring the dead body nearby. "You two will die by my hand."

There was a moment of silence as the two sides both mentally evaluated their chances of success. They glanced at the dead Hyuuga. They gazed at the two other Hyuuga, both of whom were staring at the group with shock and fear. In the end, Itachi spoke first.

"Not today."

With that said, the two turned and sprinted away so quickly that Naruto could barely even see which direction they went. "_Whoa!_" he could only gasp out in extreme surprise.

This wasn't so for Jiraiya; he promptly turned and flashed through a set of hand seals. A pair of brilliant flames burst to life in his hands after he finished the hand seals. "Katon: Faiatama no jutsu!"

He threw the balls of fire after the retreating pair but they merely dashed in between the trees, causing the fireballs to explode against the trunk of a random tree.

Jiraiya frowned as the two Akatsuki retreated; he had to get Naruto away from here as quickly as possible. "Come on, boy." He grabbed the blonde-haired brat and put him on his back, glancing at the three other bodies. _Hyuuga…_ The Sannin's frown deepened. This presented new…complications.

Naruto could only stare as the Sannin picked him up and took off back for the town. Wooziness flooded through him as multiple questions came to mind.

Why had the Hyuuga sent three of their own to kill him? Why were those two guys in the black and red-cloud cloaks after him? And that guy who looked so much like Sasuke…one of the Hyuuga had called him an Uchiha. _When I get back to Konoha,_ he vowed drowsily._ I'm gonna ask Sasuke about this 'Itachi' character._

Slumber finally claimed the host of the Kyuubi.

* * *

The morning sun was just creeping over the horizon, blinding the pair as they marched away, leaving the town behind…and gladly at that. It had been home to too many unpleasant experiences…at least in Naruto's case. As for Jiraiya? 

Well…let's just say he had plenty of new 'material' for his next book.

As they were walking down the path towards the next town, Jiraiya watched his student with interest. The boy, once again dressed in his new orange and black sweater, was scribbling inside of a scroll while muttering incoherently under his breath.

Thinking back on what he'd learned from the surviving Hyuuga pair, Jiraiya frowned deeply. The trio had been ordered by a person of high influence within the clan to assassinate Naruto. As to who this mysterious person was, he didn't know because the Hyuuga hadn't known. _What a pity…_

After he'd thoroughly explored their memories for any hints as to whom their benefactor had been, he altered their memories. The jutsu he had used, Sentakushi Nou Sakujo, was a kinjutsu that was commonly used in interrogations on enemy shinobi.

The Sannin had replaced Naruto with a random civilian that had bore a resemblance to the blonde. Now they believed that they had attacked the blonde-haired civilian, thinking that it was Naruto.

Then, as they had continued their search, they had encountered the Akatsuki members, followed by a one-sided battle.

Jiraiya left it off there, knowing full well that the Hyuuga had a strict policy of burying deceased Main Family members within their compound walls to further protect the Byakugan.

Since the Hyuuga's benefactor would no doubt send another team in search of them in the near future, Jiraiya and Naruto had to leave quickly. But it wasn't too much of a problem now. Actually, the unfortunate encounter couldn't have come at a better time; he had finally discovered a solid lead on Tsunade's location.

For the rest of the night that remained, he had let Naruto sleep off the effects of his chakra depletion. In the meantime, after he'd finished with the Hyuuga, he had proceeded to thoroughly 'research' the beautiful lady he'd found. The perverted hermit couldn't help but blush at the memory.

But alas, all good things must come to an end.

He glanced down at this new apprentice. He could feel the boy's reserves replenishing the rest of the inner coils at their normal accelerated pace even as they walked.

Now that he knew, he was surprised to admit it to himself that he hadn't realized it sooner. When Naruto had used the Kyuubi's youki in such large amounts, it left lingering amounts behind. The reason for this must have been because the boy's body couldn't stand all that excessive power very well. His body just didn't seem up to the task. Yet, if used in considerably smaller amounts, Jiraiya was willing to bet that the boy wouldn't sustain any lasting effects like that.

In a few more hours, Naruto would be back to his full potential. When that happened, Jiraiya planned to teach him another jutsu.

Catching a fleeting glimpse of the title on the scroll, the old Sannin couldn't suppress the small grin that rose up on his face.

Uzumaki Family Jutsus--Scroll 5

"Naruto," Jiraiya said after a moment. "Do you write all the jutsus you learn into scrolls like that?"

"Hai," Naruto replied, scarcely sparing a second of his time to answer. "All."

The simple, distracted answer gave Jiraiya a sudden idea. He had actually been wanting to try this idea for a while now.

"Are they for your kids or something?" he asked tentatively, testing the waters.

"Hai," Naruto answered in the same distracted tone. "Kids."

"Do you take the time to write down all of the necessary details?"

"Hai. Details."

"Naruto," Jiraiya said, his lips widening into a tremendous grin. "I heard you're gay. Is that true?"

"Hai," Naruto said. "Ga--wait, _WHAT??!!_" Naruto's face flared red as he turned a dangerous glare on the Gama-Sannin. "_**YOU BASTARD**!!_"

Jiraiya couldn't contain himself, bursting out with helpless laughter. Naruto glared at the man before quickly rolling his scroll up. The man was going to pay for that one!

Besides, he had been itching for a good spar all morning. Anything to stave off the odd questions he now had rooted into his brain…the most prominent of those questions being related to the Hyuuga and to Uchiha Itachi.

* * *

**(Author's Note)** Sorry about the wait. 

Pretty anti-climatic eh? Let me guess, most of you were expecting a big battle between Naruto and Itachi/Kisame. To be honest, that's what I had originally planned. But then something I've come to realize happened to me. The story took over me and started writing itself, I swear! Maybe that's why all of you love it so much. Not because I'm writing, but because it's writing itself...

Next chapter: _The Legendary Sucker_. Naruto learns a new jutsu and Tsunade's in a drunken stupor. That can only mean one thing: _big trouble!_ Watch as Naruto does battle with the third member of the legendary Sannin.

Translations:

Yajuu--beast, monster, wild animal

**Uzumaki Tonsou no Jutsu**--_Uzumaki Escape_//Not particularly any single 'jutsu,' it's mostly just a series of strategies he'd developed in the past. The Uzumaki Tonsou has no less than a 90 percent chance of success, seven percent of that failure record had been due to Umino Iruka-sensei's appearance or interference, or ramen. Lower D-class to A-class, varying on strategies used.

**Katon: Faiatama no jutsu**--_Fire Release: Fire Ball_//A simpler version of the Goukakyuu no Jutsu. Rather than blown out of the mouth, it's concentrated into the palms of the user's hands, which is the easiest place to mold chakra. It is much weaker than the Goukakyuu, but ideal for beginners to learn. As well as for spooking a retreating enemy by these hand-thrown projectiles. And like many Katon jutsus, the power of this jutsu is that the more chakra used in it can make it even more powerful. High D-Class ninjutsu. (Named by Ultra Sonic 007)

**Sentakushi Nou Sakujo**--_Selective Memory Erasure_//Does as its name suggests. It can erase anywhere from a few selective up to a person's an entire mind. Most times, this jutsu is used on captured enemy shinobi to turn them to the captor's side or to erase a person's memory of a specific time or event. The problem with the jutsu is that if not used properly, in terms of application and distribution, it can just as easily backfire on the user; at worst, turning the user into a vegetable for life. Upper A-Class Kinjutsu.


	26. The Legendary Sucker

**(Author's Note)** This chapter is dedicated to **khinei**. I must admit that your review was certainly one of the longest ones I've _ever_ gotten. Plus, you do have a very point and I shall most _definitely_ consider your suggestion.

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 26—The Legendary Sucker_

It was one of the few places in Konoha that had been spared being scarred by the invasion. A simple restaurant that sold the best barbeque, meeting place for their team after hours, and most importantly--

"_ITADAKIMASU!!!_"

--Choji's favorite diner.

Thus the restaurant owner and her pre-teen daughter were quite happy to welcome their best customer and his teammates in for their dinner meal. Heck, just the sight of _any_ Akimichi was enough to have her start smiling in happiness. Especially since it was the Akimichi clan that supplied easily seventy percent of her monthly income.

Though his own stomach was rumbling a fair deal louder than normal, it didn't come close to Choji's. Despite being reasonably hungry, Shikamaru just couldn't muster the energy to eat. The tribulations in the village a mere week earlier had been as troublesome as they were ridiculous. The fact that the very life of their savior had been hanging by a thread due to mostly of their unconditional, unwarranted hatred and panic only added _more _stress to the problem as well.

But now, after a week to cool down, most of the villagers were able to see the error in their judgment, thankfully. Yet, Shikamaru could understand their fears completely.

In the span of only a few minutes, the entire village had been basked in waves of vile youki. First from the Ichibi in that psychopath Suna-nin, and then an even _greater _amount from Naruto. Then, just as the horrible presences were nearly upon their beloved village, they suddenly stopped and clashed. Then, seconds later, disappeared all together.

If Shikamaru hadn't been a firsthand witness to the incredible display, he'd probably have been one of the many people in that mob that were demanding answers.

The genius frowned, ignoring the stray piece of barbequed chicken that quietly sailed past his face. _And yet_…

Even after feeling such terrifying power, Shikamaru couldn't help but feel curious. Where had Gaara, and _especially _'dead-last' Naruto, gotten such enormous powers? He knew Gaara was a Jinchuuriki, his own sister had confirmed it out there in the forest outside Konohagakure. However, for a fair portion of the fighting, mostly in the preliminaries and Chuunin Final Exam, Gaara had mostly used his own chakra…_human _chakra.

Shikamaru sighed as Ino delivered an extremely verbal barrage to Choji for being too 'enthusiastic' about his meal. _And he is still ridiculously powerful for someone of our age as well, even _if _he is a jinchuuriki_.

The last he'd heard of Gaara and his siblings was that they'd been released back to Sunagakure when word of the _real _Yondaime Kazekage's assassination reached Konoha.

Naruto was…a _slightly _different story.

Shikamaru had known for quite some time that the blonde hid a lot of things, most especially his abilities. But for some reason, it just struck him as downright _strange _that Naruto could be able to hide such a vast well of chakra inside his body. It just didn't seem logical for the blonde to be able to hide it all for years. Perhaps he'd only recently developed it?

It was when Shikamaru began to question why that red chakra--or was it youki?--had such an effect on everyone…it was only then that he found himself coming to a very unsettling conclusion.

Sarutobi Asuma just stared at Shikamaru, ignoring Ino's rant for once. The sight of that boy in deep thought…was almost terrifying, given his genius. If the matter was as serious as Shikamaru was unintentionally letting on, it must've been extremely important.

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. _Naruto has to be a Jinchuuriki as well_.

And it certainly didn't take him long to put the pieces together. Naruto's birthday was on the day of the Kyuubi's attack. He'd been shunned, mocked, bullied, beaten, and all other manners of abuse possible for as long as the boy-genius could remember. It was because the adults believed that he _was _the Kyuubi, and they despised that kitsune for its rampage through Fire Country and taking the lives of many of their friends and family.

And if that was the Kyuubi's energy that Naruto had been using when he came back to finish Gaara off…he could quite clearly understand the villagers' fears.

Naruto had not only been deadly, but brutal, _savage_. Imagining all that ferocity in a gargantuan, nine-tailed fox-youkai was a _very _terrifying thought indeed.

Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed Choji asking him for his food. Absentmindedly pushing his plate towards his best friend, Shikamaru glanced out the window they sat by. The Hokage Monument could barely be seen over the buildings of the street, hiding the new facial feature of the late Sandaime. He couldn't help but to wonder how any one of those men would've handled the mob situation that immediately occurred after the battle ended. _Nothing…but trouble_…

"-maru?" a feminine voice said from nearby.

Well, they couldn't possibly have made it any worse than what it was. The villagers that knew of the fox demon's presence in Naruto had all but shouted out for his death. They wanted to be rid of the demon once and for all, before _it _decided to return to finish what it started.

The village council, temporary leaders of Konohagakure in the absence of a Hokage, had made it quite clear that all would be resolved when the new Hokage arrived in a few days or weeks. The reason for this, Shikamaru knew, was because the council couldn't legally do what the village had wanted them to do.

"Shikamaru?" the girl's voice repeated in a more threatening tone, but falling on deaf ears once again.

Now, more than a week since the failed invasion and the demon incident outside Konoha, things had calmed down considerably. People were once again going about their daily lives, trying to forget about what had just happened.

Some of the more outspoken villagers who somehow _didn't _view Naruto as a monster, which relieved Shikamaru, had begun to point out a very specific detail that many hadn't considered in their fear.

The Kyuubi's youki had only been unleashed when the Ichibi had tried to enter the village, and vanished shortly after the tanuki did. Now, begrudgingly, people who'd venomously shunned and hated the boy slowly began to feel a small margin of gratitude towards the boy. At least Shikamaru hoped so, for Naruto's sake.

But then, even if they didn't say it, the number of cold insults and death-threats that he had often heard throughout the village had slowly began to lessen. _I still think they're ungrateful…troublesome people_.

"Hey! _Wake up!_" Ino cried, smacking Shikamaru.

Shikamaru's hand reached up to the new sore spot on his cheek. Glancing over at Ino, his bored expression twisted slightly into his patented scowl. Ino, for the most part, looked as normal as ever. With no signs of having participated in the recent battle…well, because she hadn't.

"What?" he asked, leaning his chin into his hands and propping his elbows up on the table. "I was thinking."

"Are you going to tell me what happened or not?" she demanded heatedly. "Everyone's been going on about how this Juh-ray-ah, or whatever his name was, should've killed that crazy Suna kid and the 'demon brat' for the past week. But what actually happened? Who's the 'demon brat' people keep talking about?" Her sharp eyes hardened as she spotted the telltale signs of his discomfort. _That could only one thing!_ "I know you saw something. Now tell me!"

"Girls are so troublesome," he grumbled, averting his gaze. He hated it when she did that.

"Nara Shikamaru," she said his name in that slow, drawling way that always held the promise of immediate and painful punishment should he not bend to her wishes.

As always, he bent.

"I was ordered by Kakashi-sensei to go with Sakura and help Naruto and Sasuke stop that Suna boy, Gaara," he said. "Long story short, Gaara fights them and Naruto beats him…badly."

"Naruto?" she sputtered in disbelief. "Are you sure? I-I mean he's good and all, but wasn't it Sasuke-kun?"

"No, it was definitely Naruto," Shikamaru said, growing increasingly solemn. He knew what the real reason for the commotion in the village was, but he really didn't want to share his theories with either Choji or Ino. _She can be so close-minded…most of the time_. "And he…whatever he did really upset the village."

"What could he do that--?" Choji started to ask as he stacked some more barbequed chicken and vegetables between two buns for another large sandwich.

"He used a kinjutsu for one thing," Asuma said, contributing to the conversation for the first time. "A kinjutsu that was sealed away by the Shodai Hokage and was never meant to be used ever again."

"Eh?" Ino and Choji gawked.

"I don't know it's name," Asuma continued. "and I'm sure not many do anymore."

"But…" Choji said between chewing. "if that's all, why's that so bad? Kage Bunshin is a kinjutsu, right? Why should it matter if he knows another?"

"A jutsu that destroys an entire tract of forest would be quite a cause for concern," Shikamaru drawled quietly, ignoring Ino's stupefied stare in favor of watching his best friend in concern when Choji actually started choking out of shock.

* * *

It was a hot and sunny day as Naruto and Jiraiya walked down the trail, leaving the gradually diminishing woodlands. The forest began to slowly change into a prairie, stretching for a great distance. A slight wind was enough to keep them cool…at least, enough from sweating excessively in the heat. Two days after leaving the town and meeting the two Akatsuki, the pair were still traveling, much to Naruto's chagrin. 

For the first time since he bought the sweater, Naruto began to have second thoughts about it. The black on the sleeves and shoulders contained heat far more than his old orange jacket did. When he next decided to upgrade his clothing attire, he'd be more mindful of these situations.

Well, he _would have_ been thinking about that sort of thing at the time if Jiraiya hadn't given him his first serious jutsu to learn.

After the revelations on what Itachi and the 'Akatsuki' wanted from him, as well as some more background information on 'Tsunade-hime', as Jiraiya was so fond of calling her, Naruto was set to begin his first exercise.

The exercise Jiraiya gave him to do was what should've been a simple one for any other shinobi. But not for Naruto. After all, he had no experience using Doton jutsus. In any case, he had to place his hand on the earth, send his chakra into the soil, and would pull up to have a fistful of hardened dirt hanging from his palm.

It sounded so easy that Naruto nearly yelled at Jiraiya to teach him something serious. But he'd figured he'd do the exercise and yell after he'd made his point. What a shock beheld Naruto when he could only hold onto the surface of the ground. He was so confused and surprised that he had failed to notice Jiraiya's knowing smirk.

Now, as the hot noon sun was beating down on his shoulders, Naruto entered a modified version of thinking pose. Crossing his arms, tilting his head down, closing his eyes, and slowing his pace slightly so that he walked behind Jiraiya, he entered into a trance. _This exercise is a simple one…I know _that _much._

Jiraiya claimed that it was the first step towards using the Doton jutsu he was going to teach him, as well as the first step for using any Doton jutsu. What he'd been trying to do was to merely channel his chakra into the earth like every time he would when he was water-walking or on walls. Yet, it didn't seem to penetrate any deeper than an inch at the most.

He had tried to channel more chakra to an even deeper depth. But the outcome was equally frustrating; either the earth would either fall apart as he withdrew his hand, or he'd get the same result again! It was so frustrating! _GAH! STUPID DIRT! Why can't I get it?!_

Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down. What he needed was a tranquil mind. Staring at the ground with a blank look on his face, he couldn't help but wish that this was like when he was making…the…Rasengan…

The answers suddenly started to dawn within his mind.

His gaze sharpened as he pictured a Rasengan digging a crater into his newest obstacle.

Then it hit him. _Of course!_

Jiraiya heard a sudden movement behind him and glanced back. Naruto was crouched on the ground, a look of pure concentration on his face. Faint trails of chakra were whisking out of the ground, circulating around his hand. Curious as to his student's actions, he turned his full attention to him.

Clutching the wrist of the hand that lay on the ground, giving him better control over the flow of chakra, Naruto slowly lifted it up as the chakra trails faded. What came up with his hand was a fair amount of earth. It lacked the hardness of Jiraiya's fistful, but it was still a fistful. Standing up fully, Naruto looked up and spotted Jiraiya's staring. A rueful grin spread across Naruto's face as he held up the dirt for examination.

Chuckling, Jiraiya nodded approvingly. "Very good, Naruto."

"What's the next step?" Naruto asked excitedly as the dirt fell back to the earth. "I wanna learn this thing before we have to go back to Konoha!"

Smiling at his student's enthusiasm; that always reminded him even more of the Yondaime. Jiraiya held up his hand to hold off any more of Naruto's comments. "Would you care to explain what you did to gather so much soil? I've never seen anyone else do it like that."

"Eh?" Naruto said with a raised eyebrow. "I…I was mad…I wanted to do a Rasengan to ah, vent some anger…then I got to thinking about having my chakra go into a spiral around my fist as I touched the ground."

"Oh, I see," Jiraiya interrupted as he caught onto Naruto's idea. "The spinning chakra would spread out, charging the ground with your energy. Just as the Rasengan is a spinning maelstrom, your spinning chakra was sucking objects towards your hand…so when you pulled your hand up, the ground came with it." His pleased grin widened. "Very clever."

Naruto chuckled slightly, turning his face away in an attempt to hide the slight blush of embarrassment. No matter how many times Jiraiya said that, he could never get use to being complimented.

"Now then, the next step," Jiraiya loudly said, earning Naruto's undivided attention. "Turning chakra into mud."

Five handseals later, performed slowly so that Naruto could memorize them, Jiraiya's cheeks suddenly bloated as he bent down and spit out a large pile of what appeared to be mud. "There you have it!"

Naruto didn't know whether to fall on his ass laughing at the comical scene or to shake the man until he explained what he'd just done.

Jiraiya decided for him. "Gather the same amount of chakra as you did to get that fistful into your mouth, 'moisten' it with your saliva, and it should change immediately."

"How does it change?" Naruto asked, not too keen on the idea of having a mouthful of mud. The last time that had happened, not too long ago unfortunately, it had tasted nasty. I mean, its very _name _screamed 'ickiness.'

"To be honest," Jiraiya said as he turned and began to walk away again. As Naruto hurried up to his side he continued, "I don't know. Something about the energies in your chakra mixed with water of your saliva…you'd have to ask an Iwa-nin to know for sure. I just know how to do the jutsu, not the specifics."

Actually, he did know. But he didn't care to get into the details with Naruto. It was mostly a lot of technical babble about altering the very nature of the chakra and the physics behind pulling elements from the body that could be used so that the chakra could transform into the desired element. He was positive the boy wouldn't understand, no matter how smart he seemed to be. Jiraiya understood it himself, but he always marveled at the mechanics behind it.

"And, for future reference," he said, continuing his lecture, even as Naruto began flashing through the handseals. "The same can be done with Suiton jutsus. It just depends on the handseals used."

Whether Naruto heard that or not was debatable. But what Jiraiya heard from Naruto was a combination of gapping and coughing. Mud was pooled at Naruto's feet, but mostly on his sweater and chin. It was quite clear that he couldn't keep it inside long enough for him to properly get into position.

Once he got the horrendous taste out of his mouth with a healthy dose of water, Naruto finally noticed his sensei. He was lying on the ground, clutching his aching sides from laughing so hard. "Oh my! What a dirty, _dirty_ mouth you have! Make sure to use soap!"

"_Shut your DAMN mouth, Ero-Sannin!_" Naruto screamed, his pride stinging.

"Oops! Your mouth's not quite clean yet!" Jiraiya howled again. An annoyed growl was the only warning the exuberant Sannin got before a blonde blur attacked him.

* * *

The sun was barely visible by the time Naruto and Jiraiya stumbled upon another town. But unlike the last town they were in, Jiraiya made no move to enter it. Not even to go to an Inn. Aside from sending Naruto in get some supplies, namely food and water, they ignored the bustling burg. 

However, what Naruto saw inside the town had him returning in a solemn mood.

The sights…they reminded him of what he never had. He had seen a father buying his son some ice cream, eventually walking away while discussing some possibilities for the dinner that his wife would 'hopefully' be making.

It was a painful reminder of what he hadn't known for most of his life.

He'd thought that he had hidden his sadness upon returning to Jiraiya. But the man had either gotten adept at reading his 'masks', or he was slipping in his external control.

Naruto quickly rectified the situation by grinning quite broadly and returning to his attempts at controlling the mud created in his mouth.

This next step had seemed almost as easy as the first one. Yet, as the blonde boy quickly discovered, if he didn't control the amount of chakra he used, too much mud would be created for him to hold inside.

The result: a stomach of mud, a mud-soaked chin, and muddy clothes.

And worst of all…he still didn't even know the name of the jutsu!

But then again, that wasn't truly important at the moment…almost.

All of his failed attempts at doing the jutsu correctly were starting to have an effect on his reserves. Sitting down heavily after his latest attempt, he wiped away the mud from his cheek. No longer trying to wipe his sweater clean, he knew he'd only end up rubbing it further into the cloth. This sweater was going to get a serious wash the first chance he got.

"Geh…stupid…muddy…taste…" It would take an extra-large bowl of ramen to get rid of it.

"Hey now," Jiraiya said as he faced Naruto after making a small campfire. "Don't be so stubborn about how you do the jutsu."

Naruto glanced up at Jiraiya with a look of annoyed contempt. But that look vanished as Jiraiya held up something very familiar. "You should try to relax before trying again tomorrow." In his hand he held the same kind of ice cream that the father and son had in the town.

Normally, Naruto would've questioned where the man had gotten the sweets. _Especially _since he was pretty sure that the Sannin hadn't entered the town. However, his mind was slightly numbed by both chakra exhaustion and his training.

And yet…

Naruto felt a strange warmth inside his stomach as he gazed at the cold treat in his sensei's hands.

In silence he accepted the treat, a very small smile creeping onto his face as he did so. He found his fondness of the older man growing with each day, despite his questionable deeds and hobbies. If Iruka was like the father Naruto never had, then Jiraiya would be like the perverted uncle he never had.

Family…the whole idea made Naruto smile. He wanted a family…to be a part of one.

Naruto soon fell into a content slumber, a smudge of chocolate ice cream caked into the corners of his lips.

* * *

Kabuto heard his master's pained gasps long before he entered the room. While his master and mentor may have been in extreme pain, he knew that the information he'd gathered would at least give him a slight peace of mind. 

Walking through the door, he started speaking in the same tone of voice he always used around Orochimaru, "Please take the medicine immediately."

That's when the medic-nin spotted the mess.

The Oto-nin who'd been assigned to watch over the former Sannin was dead. And by the looks of it, it was the most horrendous death he'd seen inflicted by his master in some time. The shinobi had had his throat ripped to shreds; excessive amounts of blood covered the bed sheets, part of the wall, and the floor.

Holding the annoyance out of his voice, Kabuto spoke his thoughts since he knew Orochimaru wouldn't care what he thought.

"Ahh," he groaned. "I have to clean the room the moment I get back?"

Turning towards Kabuto, Orochimaru's glare would've terrified any other person, especially with his bloodied face. The blood added an almost perfect effect to the vampiric image.

"The woman…" he snapped, without preamble. "Did you find her?"

"…Yes," Kabuto said, his jealousy visible in his eyes. Why his master believed that the drunkard that remained of his old teammate could do a better job at healing his arms than he, with his own remarkable skills, was beyond him. "…it seems she's at a place called Tanzaku-Gai."

"…Is that so," Orochimaru said quietly. He knew the Tanzaku-Gai was a city laden with enough casinos and gambling parlors for Tsunade to be in heaven for as long as her money lasted.

"It won't be easy to capture her," Kabuto reminded him, once again trying to change his master's mind.

"Of course," Orochimaru said, almost bitterly. "…the best cure is always the hardest one to find…right?"

Kabuto made no reply, only closing his eyes in resignation.

Climbing out of the bed, Orochimaru's next order was quite predictable. "We're going to Tanzaku-Gai, now."

* * *

Jiraiya went into the next town alone. 

Naruto didn't care; he was focused once again on learning the Doton jutsu. From what Jiraiya could see, the boy was quickly getting the hang of it.

His first problem had been, as usual, putting forth too much chakra. That resulted in an overabundance of mud. It was only after a good night's worth of sleep that the boy began calming down enough so that he could restrain his chakra output.

It was just a matter of him controlling the mud from covering his clothes and face as he expelled it. _If I gambled as much as Tsunade, I'd bet a hefty sum that he'll have gotten the hang of it by the time I get back._

In one of the many bars of the town, he was once again asking for the whereabouts of Tsunade-hime. The last contact he had met had said that she'd been heading in this direction not too long ago.

She was close by. He could feel it.

But once again, she was gone when he got there.

He had almost been about to call it quits and wander randomly to the next town when the picture he was holding caught a man's attention. It seemed that he was a big time gambler who'd won a large amount of money from her.

But, as Jiraiya instantly guessed, she ran off and disappeared again. Her excuse was that she'd repay him when she had the money, as was her normal excuse. Jiraiya frowned as he heard the man tell his tale. _Bah. There's no way she's gone through the Shodai's inheritance _that _quickly…right?_

Fortunately, as Tsunade had been leaving, the gambler had overheard her talking to a black-haired woman about going to her 'personal paradise.' That translated in Tanzaku-Gai if Jiraiya's remembered correctly.

Jiraiya had happily paid for the man's next drink.

Tanzaku-Gai was pretty close to where they were now. Only a day's walk away actually. _Finally! We're going to end this little chase._

* * *

Tsunade had gambled…and won. 

It was a rare thing to happen.

But it did.

The fact that it happened at all instantly put her on edge.

The last times she had ever won at anything that had to do with gambling had been followed by a great tragedy for her. The previous two times resulted in tragedies that continued to haunt her to this day.

First, she had won a hand during a rather simple western card game. She'd walked away with almost a hundred thousand in ryo. Soon after, her brother had been killed on a mission that went wrong…and this was also shortly after she had given him her grandfather's necklace.

The second victory had been the result of a bet on the champion of a Chuunin Final Exam, winning her nearly twenty thousand ryo. It should've hit her like the omen it was.

But it hadn't.

Then Dan had been killed. She had not only gotten her gift back from him, her grandfather's necklace, another horrible omen, but also hemophobia: the fear of blood.

So when she suddenly won a game of slot machines, she didn't share in Shizune's joy at the unexpected victory and good fortune. In fact, she had the sudden desire to leave as quickly as her legs could carry her.

* * *

If Jiraiya _had _made the bet, he would've gotten a very nice sum of money. 

"Excellent," Jiraiya said happily as he watched Naruto perform the jutsu correctly. As he'd guessed, the boy had mastered the second step by his return. "I think you're ready for the last stage, where you put it all together."

Looking up from his demonstration, Naruto smiled as he stared excitedly. He was finally going to learn the full thing! He watched in impatience as Jiraiya when through the same handseals.

Jiraiya spat out the mud onto the ground in front of him, forming an arc of sorts. Naruto blinked as the Sannin knelt down and pressed his hands against the earth behind it. A half-second later a ten-foot wall of earth and rock erupted from the mud-splattered ground between them. Naruto recoiled unconsciously at the sudden and unexpected action. After a moment, the wall crumbled to reveal a grinning super pervert. _A…defensive jutsu?_

"Doton: Doryuuheki no Jutsu." he explained as he stepped away from the remains of his earth wall. Holding up his hand to halt the comments he knew Naruto was about to say, he continued, "I know that this isn't what you were hoping for. It's a defensive technique…probably not to your style. But I also know that you don't have any Doton jutsus in your arsenal, and this will help you in the long run."

Naruto just stared blankly at Jiraiya, waiting for him to continue.

"And while your Kaze Tate is a very good defense," he said. "It is far from a perfect defense. I know that you know the dangers of using it against a Katon jutsu." At this statement, he turned an almost expectant gaze on Naruto. "…Right?"

"Of course!" Naruto snapped, he'd learned that years ago.

"Good," his sensei said. "Now do it."

Snarling slightly at the order, Naruto complied nonetheless. Getting the mud out was easy enough since he had just mastered it. But when he crouched down and tried to get the wall to rise, nothing happened. Not even when he tried to use his chakra to draw the mud up.

Jiraiya just sighed. "Well, can't say I didn't expect that," he muttered, earning a glare from Naruto. "Well, come on. If we hurry, we should find Tsunade-hime in Tanzaku-Gai by this time tomorrow."

Naruto muttered, "Sure thing…" He quietly added, "_Jiraiya-hime._"

An unexpected blow to the top of his head sent him crashing to the ground.

"_Ow!_" he cried out.

"I _heard_ that."

Naruto was suddenly content with grumbling quietly as he rubbed the new bump on his head.

* * *

The scene was one of utter destruction. 

The once majestic palace of Tanzaku was nothing but a pile of rubble, a tragedy for any historian.

But what concerned Jiraiya and Naruto was only how long ago it had occurred. Considering the freshness of the debris…not too long ago.

"I smell some people over here," Naruto called from where he'd wondered away.

The boy was near a large hole in a thick stonewall, a sight that brought back painful memories for the elder shinobi. The lack of scorch marks, trails on the ground, or any other traces of chakra could only mean that it had been crushed by hand.

Only one person could do that. _Tsunade…_

Naruto, however, wasn't even examining the evidence. He was crouched over on the ground like a dog, taking in a deep lungful of the air and sorting through the scents he picked up. As he paced slowly from one side to the other, he let loose a commentary of his findings.

"Two males, two females," the boy muttered. "Two of them are old, two are younger." His face scrunched up out of disgust. "Ugh, snake breath, alcohol, and…blood." His eyes widened. "Hm? Poison needles…" he tentatively picked up the aforementioned objects. "They smell like the younger lady…Must've tried to attack, but was blocked."

"Can you track the women?" Jiraiya asked, hopefully. That would make their job a lot easier.

Glancing at his sensei as though he'd grown a second head, Naruto said, "Of course!"

Without a further command, the boy abruptly stood up and began jogging back towards the city. Jiraiya was on Naruto's heels the whole way, briefly debating to himself whether or not the boy had Inuzuka blood in him…in jest of course. He had to relieve his own mental tension.

"Are you sure she's in here?" he asked when they stopped in front of a rundown bar. He didn't want to waste anymore time than need be.

"I think so," Naruto said tentatively. "It's hard to tell with all of the other scents coming from here."

Sighing resignedly, Jiraiya nodded as he stepped forward. "Well, at least we can get dinner here."

Boy was he surprised and relieved to see an almost hauntingly familiar head of blonde hair at the back of the bar.

* * *

Shizune watched as her mentor and Jiraiya conversed. It had been painfully clear that Tsunade-sama didn't want Jiraiya to know the details of what Orochimaru had offered her; the glare said it all. 

But when Shizune glanced at the Gama-Sannin, she was almost certain that he suspected there was more to it.

However, when Jiraiya made the announcement of the council's request for her to become the Godaime Hokage, everyone else was shocked and surprised…especially the strange blonde boy that had been sitting next to him, quietly eating some fish.

She watched in sympathy as he nearly choked on the fish he'd almost inhaled. Once he'd sufficiently beaten the meat down the correct pipe, he'd turned vehemently to Jiraiya…and once he had started speaking, Shizune was surprised at how loud his voice was.

"_WHAT_?" the boy cried in disbelief. "_Why?!_ What about Ojisan? Isn't he still Hokage?" He pointed a finger at Jiraiya. "I thought _he_ could the next Hokage, not the wrinkled, old bastards on the council!"

"Baka," Tsunade muttered, as she looked away slightly in her drunken depression. "Sandaime is dead."

The boy first snapped an evil glare at Tsunade, which was ignored. Then he again returned his attention to Jiraiya-sama, eyes wide and moistening as he spotted the Sannin's similar sadness.

"…Is it true?" the boy asked, his voice wavering.

"I…didn't tell you?" Jiraiya asked quietly, mentally berating himself for forgetting this very important tidbit. "…Yes, it's true."

The boy just stared at the white-haired man for a moment before turning to look at Tsunade and herself. His eyes were almost begging them to contradict the man's word. When no such comment came, he gazed down at the table as a lone tear slipped past his mask.

Shizune was about to reach over and pat his hand reassuringly when a growl escaped his throat. When he glanced up, his once bright blue eyes now held the sharpness of a steel blade.

"_Who did it?_" the boy demanded, his voice little more than a growl.

"Orochimaru," Tsunade answered emotionlessly. Glancing at Jiraiya, she asked the question that had been plaguing Shizune's own mind. "…who's this brat?"

His face finally clearing of his sadness, Jiraiya let loose a sad, yet knowing smirk as he answered. "Uzumaki Naruto."

That name rang a bell in Shizune's mind. It was the name of the boy who held the Kyuubi no Kitsune. As she reexamined the boy once more, she made the connection upon seeing the telltale whisker marks on the boy's cheeks.

"Hey!" the boy said suddenly, his anger and sadness disappearing as though it had never existed. "How come _she_ gets to become Hokage? Why not you?"

"Quiet, brat," Jiraiya snapped as he bonked Naruto on the head, sending him crashing face first onto the tabletop. As the blonde boy cradled his aching cranium and face, Jiraiya continued, "So…what's your answer?"

It was after a long pause that she answered. And though she really shouldn't have been surprised, Shizune still was. After all, it was one of the highest honors for a shinobi to be selected to become _any _shinobi village's next Kage, much less Konoha's. Shizune's surprise was mirrored by the shock on Naruto's face.

"You were just offered to become Hokage," Naruto said suddenly climbing to his feet. "and you 'decline'?" Turning to Jiraiya, he snapped out, "We came all this way for _this?!_" Shizune couldn't help but smile slightly at the boy's rant…and in her honest opinion, Tsunade deserved to get chewed out. At least a little. "What a _waste _of time!" finished Naruto.

"Jiraiya," Tsunade drawled as she lifted her sake up for another sip. "This kid seems worse than your first apprentice…in terms of looks, speech, and intelligence."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Naruto snapped instantly, his face turning slightly red. "I'm _just_ as good as the Yondaime!"

"Yes," Jiraiya said, rolling his eyes slightly as he ignored the boy. "But it's hard for anyone to be compared to the Yondaime. He really had the talent. He was smart, reliable, and handsome, like me too!"

Before Naruto could counter his sensei's words, Tsunade said something that would prove to be her undoing.

"But even the Yondaime died," Tsunade drawled as she lowered the sake. As the words left her lips, she had the attention of both Jiraiya and Naruto, both sensing something bad approaching. "…gave up his life for the village…life is different than money…it can't be risked that easily…whoever puts it at risk so easily…is a fool…"

Things were about to get ugly.

Shizune blanched as Naruto's expression darkened, no doubt having memories of risking his own life himself several times before. She kept quiet as Tsunade began one of her speeches about why she would've never wanted to become Hokage. Specifically how she'd die before fulfilling her dream. It was when she insulted the Sandaime that things quickly got out of control.

Shizune had been watching Jiraiya's expression as Tsunade insulted the Sandaime and the honor of being Hokage. So she was quite taken by surprise when Naruto suddenly shoved his plate of food violently to the side as he lunged over the table for the medic-nin.

The boy never reached her as Jiraiya caught the back of his sweater. Naruto was so furious that he was flailing his fists in a vain attempt to reach Tsunade. Tsunade had hardly flinched at the sudden aggression of the blonde. Everyone else in the bar turned and stared at the sudden commotion the blonde caused, so great was his rage.

Finally regaining his bearings, Naruto turned to Jiraiya and screamed, "_Let me go!!_"

"Not here, Naruto," Jiraiya said sternly. "And sit down."

"_No!_" Naruto growled, his body trembling in fury as he turned back to Tsunade. "I won't forgive _anyone _who insults Ojisan _or _the Yondaime!" Bringing his fists up, he loudly cracked his knuckles to emphasize his next statement. "I don't care if she _is _a woman,_ I'm going to KICK HER ASS!!!_"

Tsunade just stared at the boy for a moment before she lazily climbed to her feet. Leaning suggestively towards the boy, she haughtily said, "You've got some guts to say such things to me, brat…Let's take this outside."

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune cried, disbelief on her face.

Correction; _now _things were getting ugly.

* * *

To say that Naruto was furious would be an understatement of the highest order. 

The last time he had _ever_ been this angry at anyone had been at Hatake-kokuzoku; upon learning that the Jounin had taught Sasuke-teme his Oboro. He'd been blindly furious at the injustice his former mentor committed. Now, learning from his previous mistake, he concentrated his anger towards one goal: beating this 'Tsunade-hime' for insulting his Ojisan.

Had Tsunade been aware of how much he'd looked up to the Sandaime, even basing his entire dream on becoming like him, she might have reconsidered her words about him. But alas, after _just _having learned of Sarutobi's death and Tsunade's cold insults, Naruto couldn't help but to lash out.

He stood out in the street outside the bar. Tsunade stood several yards away, looking as relaxed as though she were about to take a walk through the park. That spiked his temper even more. Sannin or not, she could at least have the decency to take him seriously!

Reading his body language perfectly, Tsunade said, "Kid, I've been a Sannin since long before you were born. There's no need to take this seriously."

"_SHUT UP!!_" he cried, grinding his teeth together.

Holding up her index finger, a small smirk grew across her face. "…one finger should be enough…"

The second that comment left her lips, Naruto attacked.

Sending a barrage of kunai at the drunk Sannin, he formed the tora handseal. As Tsunade was dodging the deadly projectiles, she missed seeing him inhale until it was too late. She almost laughed when smoke came out of his mouth instead fire…but her laughter died in her throat when she realized what his true intent was: blinding her vision.

Seven surprisingly large chakra signatures suddenly surrounded and attacked her. She couldn't see him at all, but she was almost positive that he had just used some kind of Bunshin jutsu. Punching the ground powerfully, she sent out enough force to throw the seven Bunshins high into the air. This also created enough of a wind to dissipate the smoke.

When the smoke cleared and she spotted Naruto, she suddenly wondered how drunk she really was; her vision of him was clouded. All she could see was a blurry image as he landed less than gracefully on the ground some distance away. _Huh…?_

A gasp from Shizune drew her attention.

Seeing her own apprentice's surprised stare at the Uzumaki, Tsunade realized that it wasn't just her eyesight. If she had been sober, she would've been unbelievably curious as to how the boy could do that with his chakra aura. But since she wasn't, her resentment only turned to drunken anger. _Hmph. He's trying to force me to take him seriously…how rude._

Letting his accidental Oboro slip away, Naruto was staring at the large crater that lay at her feet. He impulsively gulped, realizing that the hole in the wall from the ruins of Tanzaku Castle had been her doing. If just one punch had done that…he would in trouble if she hit him directly. His gaze sharpened as their eyes met for a moment. _Time to get serious…_

Flashing through a familiar set of four handseals, his Kaze Kiwa roared to life around his forearm. Had Naruto not been so focused on Tsunade, he may have noticed Jiraiya's amused chuckle. As it were, he just raced forward, arm aimed at his enemy.

Tsunade didn't know whether snort in disgust or laugh in amusement. What kind of jutsu was that? What could that kid hope to accomplish with a bunch of wind circling his arm? Well, she'd just teach that boy a lesson. She'd catch his arm and dislocate his shoulder for not taking this fight seriously…even if she wasn't.

Seeing Tsunade's stance and reading her body language just as fluently as she had read Naruto's, Jiraiya quickly realized her mistaken conception of the Kaze Kiwa. Had his fellow Sannin been sober, she would've been able to analyze the jutsu and its piercing ability properly. _Curse her drunkenness!_

Naruto was nearly on top of her before he yelled out to her.

"Tsunade, dodge!" he cried out.

One glance at her former teammate's worried expression caused her to change her mind. Jiraiya wouldn't interrupt a battle unless he knew something important…

Naruto was just two paces away when she acted. Bringing her finger down with tremendous force, the ground suddenly split under the boy's feet and sent him falling face first into the crevice. She blinked in mild surprise as she saw the damage the wind had done to the ground as he instinctively reached to catch himself. The wind had drilled a hole into the earth around his arm, causing him to fall lopsidedly onto that side until the wind finally dissipated.

"_Kuso!_" Naruto cursed as he climbed out of the crack and sent an angry glare at Jiraiya.

Smirking, Tsunade knelt down in front of the boy. He first looked up at her with surprise, but that changed to anger and fear as she held up her hand, finger cocked back. One half-hearted flick later sent him tumbling a surprising distance away. The same blow also sent his headband flying high into the air.

Sitting up and rubbing his aching forehead, Naruto whined out, "_That's it!_ That is the second time I've been hit in the head in the last five minutes! I'm sick of it! _The next person to hit me is going to meet their maker, I swear!_"

Then his hitai-ate crashed onto his cranium, bouncing off and sliding onto the ground.

Roaring out in a foul temper, he quickly stood up and kicked the innocent object away. This entire display of anger incarnate gone wild earned him some hysterical laughter from Jiraiya and reluctant giggles from Shizune.

But Tsunade hardly noticed. She was tired of playing with this brat. And his loud voice was really starting to get on her nerves. She started running towards him, deciding to end this 'fight' in one last hit.

Spotting her approaching, eyes glazed over in a drunken anger, Naruto reacted on instinct. He flashed through five handseals and spit out a mouthful of mud in front of him. Tsunade just kept approaching, her arm cocked back, finger ready. But when a sudden wall of mud erupted from the earth between them, she was again surprised. Yet, due to her momentum, she couldn't stop…so she threw a full powered punch into the rock.

What she found on the other side of the wall actually caused her to recoil, so surprised she was. Naruto had apparently jumped back after he'd formed the wall and was now holding a jutsu she had not seen since the Yondaime Hokage had died.

Rasengan.

It was that moment of surprise that cost her. Erupting out of the earth around her was a trio of Kage Bunshins. They latched onto her legs, using chakra to glue themselves to her and the ground. Naruto quickly charged forward, the Rasengan aimed right at her ample chest.

Using a strength born of desperation, Tsunade effortlessly yanked herself free of the clones' clutches. She quickly dodged the Rasengan, whirled around Naruto, and roughly flicked his unprotected backside. The Rasengan vanished in a powerful gust of wind as he was sent skidding across the ground, back to where he had originally started the fight.

"_Kuso, KUSO!!_" Naruto cursed as he slowly pulled himself up.

As Tsunade walked back over towards the boy, she couldn't help but feel impressed. The brat had wielded the Rasengan nearly as well as the Yondaime. Plus, it seemed that he'd had an excessive amount of chakra put into it. If she had had allowed herself to be hit by that 'super' Rasengan, she would have been in some serious pain at the very least…or perhaps she would've been killed?

That realization was enough to sober her up.

Jiraiya just quirked his eyebrow out of surprise; Naruto had mastered the Doryuuheki on only his second try. He'd have to ask the boy about that in a short while. Perhaps the rush of battle had driven him over the edge and given him the needed push to properly use it. But nonetheless, his attention was quickly captured by Tsunade as she slowly walked over to him.

"Tell me, Jiraiya," she said, in a snarky, yet almost cute voice. "Was it you that taught the brat the Rasengan?"

Smirking widely, he proudly shook his head no. "While I'm his sensei in principle…" he began slowly. "The one who taught Naruto the Rasengan…was none other than Naruto."

Eyes widening in extreme shock, the medic-nin gazed back at the boy in a calculative manner. Even though he was trying to rub the ache out of his back from where she'd struck him, he still managed to notice her staring.

"_What?!_" he snapped hotly.

Turning back to Jiraiya, she sneered, "Yeah, right. No way a brat like that could do that. It took the Yondaime three years to make it, and he was a genius. How could he?"

Only Shizune saw Naruto snarl since she was trying to comfort him. Standing up abruptly and apparently no longer noticing his injuries, he yelled, "Oh really? Three years eh? Humph, it took me six _months!_"

Tsunade snorted. "I may go by the nickname of _Densetsu no Kamo_, but you can't pull a lie like that over me."

"IT'S NOT A LIE!" Naruto roared. He quickly held up and began ticking off a finger for every jutsu he'd made. "I made the Enmaku in about three weeks. The Oiroke in a week. The Oboro in three days! Kaze Kiwa in one afternoon! And the Kaze Doriru in an instant!"

"Really?" Tsunade muttered, not at all impressed. All those random names scarcely piqued her interest. "And just why would you make so many?"

"Because I'm good at it!" Naruto snapped. "And when I become Hokage, it'll prove it!"

A chill descended upon the female. "What?" Tsunade asked, suddenly feeling as though she were seeing ghosts.

Smiling slightly, despite his aching body and pride, Naruto slowly drawled out, "Because Hokage is my dream."

Yes, she was definitely seeing ghosts. Now that she really looked closely, she could see a surprising resemblance between this boy and her dead little brother, Nawaki. Even that slight smirk was reminiscent of him. Those words…so eerily similar to Nawaki's and Dan's…

"Tell you what," said Naruto, feeling the strange urge to prove himself to this old lady. "I'll be back in one week with at least one new jutsu!"

Now the boy was talking in a language that she could understand. Her sudden smirk spoke volumes more than any words she could speak. "Big words for a runt," she muttered. "But can you back them up?"

"I never go back on my word," Naruto said, a large and proud foxy grin on his face. "It's my shinobi way."

"Well then," she was fully confident in her new idea now. It was perfect. And Orochimaru said he needed sacrifices… "I'll give you one week. If you can create and master one jutsu that I have never seen before, I'll acknowledge your potential of becoming Hokage…" She then lifted up her grandfather's necklace. "I'll even give you this necklace."

"But, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune cried, appalled by what her mentor was suggesting.

"Why would I want some ugly jewelry?" Naruto demanded.

"Shut up, Naruto," Jiraiya said, trying not to laugh. "That was originally the Shodai Hokage's and it's worth enough to buy three mountains."

Naruto paled. Since he had never had much pocket change for most of his life, the idea of being able to purchase an entire mountain or two was instantly appealing. However, outwardly, he made it seem as though he was reluctant to accept. Yet, once again, both Tsunade and Jiraiya were able to read him like a book.

"But if you lose this bet," Tsunade continued. "You have to give up on being a shinobi…which means you'll never be Hokage."

"_WHAT?!_" Naruto screamed, appalled. Of course, what remained of his pride kicked in. "Heh…fine. If you want to lose that badly!"

The Sannin smirked at the boy's spunk. "In the meantime," Tsunade said as she held out a familiar plump frog wallet. "I think I'll enjoy myself."

"_No, you don't!_" screamed two voices, one behind her as she turned away and one underneath her.

Bursting out of the ground and taking her by surprise, the last remaining Kage Bunshin snatched the purse from her still outstretched hand. Before she could snatch it back, the clone sent it flying towards the real Naruto. Growling at the clone for stealing her next few hours of entertainment, she smashed her fist into it, destroying it.

"In one week, I'll be back, Obaasan!" Naruto yelled as he collected his headband and ran for the outskirts of Tanzaku-Gai.

He had a number of ideas about what to do…oh, he couldn't wait to make his next jutsu!

Well whatever he made, there was going be at least one _special_ jutsu for the Sandaime Hokage. For all that man had done for him, it would be the least Naruto could do: honor him with a jutsu named for him.

* * *

**(Author's Note) **Whew, what a rush. Though I hope I didn't overdo it too much with how closely I followed the canon. Sorry about that, I just couldn't envision that fight scene starting any other way than it did in canon. I hope you like it. I also hope you like what the next serious fight is going to be like. 

Don't hope for the next chapter to come as quickly as this one. I was just really inspired and the story wrote itself again, those are the only reasons why it's ready now. But, since we're finally moving closer to the story arcs I'm most interested in, the next chapter _may_ come out sooner than I expect. So keep your fingers crossed!

Next chapter: _Naruto experiments relentlessly on his newest jutsu, under the watchful eyes of Shizune and Tsunade. But will he have mastered this new mystery jutsu in time for his destined battle with the one kokuzoku that he never liked? Find out next time in: _The Reason He Stays

Doton: Doryuuheki no Jutsu--Earth Release: Mudslide Barrier//B-Class Ninjutsu


	27. The Reason He Stays

**(Author's Note) **For **Atra Nox **this chapter's dedication goes to. Thanks for pointing out that significant flaw in this story. I'm working on correcting it ASAP. But, in my defense, it is like that because the story is _about_ Naruto and his life.

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 27--The Reason He Stays

She had to warn him.

Shizune frowned as she made her way outside of Tanzaku-Gai. She couldn't believe that Tsunade-sama would bet her grandfather's necklace…and she _knew _it's cursed! Shizune knew this because of how close she had been to the second victim: Dan, her uncle. Shizune and Tsunade were both heavily affected by Dan's death, so Shizune could only empathize with Tsunade about Nawaki.

But to bet the Shodai's necklace? Either she didn't believe he could win…or she was cursing him to death. _I have to let him know about the necklace and what will await him should he win._

The surrounding landscape of Tanzaku-Gai was mostly rugged plains with an occasional tree. High winds over the years had reduced them to scarred husks, appearing to be more like bizarre stone formations than plants. It was also due to these winds that made fresh tracks difficult to find. But she was a kunoichi in the service of one of the Sannin; finding a loud, yellow-haired boy was a rather simple task, even in the dwindling daylight.

She found him almost a mile south of the village, sitting in the shade of a mangled tree. His head was bent down, eyes closed, chin resting in the palm of a hand whose elbow was propped up on his knee, and an almost calming hum coming from his throat. His expression indicated deep thought; meditation perhaps? _Huh…didn't expect a loud boy like him to be like this._

For a moment, all she could do was stare at him from upon the rocky outcropping. He actually looked kind of cute when he wasn't being loud or obnoxious.

"Just because I can't see you," he said suddenly, startling her. "Doesn't mean I don't know you're there." He twitched his nose once and in an instant Shizune realized what he was saying. _Does he smell me?_ Opening his eyes, he continued, "What do you want?"

Shizune dropped down in front of the boy, reminding herself that this boy probably wouldn't exactly be very forgiving of her mentor. She had to do this anyway. "I need to tell you something about Tsunade-sama."

* * *

For the Hyuuga named Neji, it was a rather peculiar time. 

Gai had forbidden him from going on any missions that exceeded D-Rank. Not until his injuries from the fight with Naruto had fully healed. He knew that his sensei had been a little surprised at the extent of his wounds: multiple fractured or broken ribs, a malfunctioning of the inner coils due to some foreign chakra, multiple scratches and cuts on his face, and last but not least, a badly cut hairdo. At least it was still manageable enough to form a ponytail; his pride had been dealt enough beatings as it was.

It had been somewhat depressing for the proud Jounin to acknowledge how badly his team had fared. Lee was so severely hurt that his career as a shinobi was most likely over. Neji himself was hurt nearly as badly; fortunately, thanks to Naruto's potent medicine, the effects wouldn't be permanent. Only Tenten was in near perfect health, still slightly recovering from an abused backbone from her battle with Temari.

However, Neji believed that they had performed much better than the other Konoha teams. Currently, of the teams that had participated in the exam, only Teams Eight and Ten were still operational. It would've hit a sore spot in his pride that his weak cousin had managed to somehow outdo him. But, for once, he didn't even bat an eye to Hinata-sama's 'achievement.' No…he was much more focused on something else.

He had discovered a new purpose: training on his chakra control.

It had been some time since Neji had trained to achieve a goal. However, even though he wasn't certain of the outcome, he had to accomplish this task: enhancing and completely perfecting the Kaiten.

A scowl crossed his face at the memory of the now-infamous Shieldbreaker, piercing the top of his Kaiten. If there was one thing Neji had been forced to admit, it was that the Hyuuga clan's jutsus weren't all-powerful. Naruto had proved that easily enough. Now, Neji felt honor bound to show Konoha that the Kaiten was superior to the Tatewaru. He wanted a rematch with the Uzumaki enigma.

There was only one problem in his goal of making it better. _How?_

The first thing he had done was to research everything he could on the manipulation of chakra; specifically, how to control air and the wind. That was the key to understanding how the Kaiten had been defeated.

As he had discovered, wind manipulation was a rare ability. There was little information on it as a result. Fortunately, he had managed to uncover one vital fact: those who were masters of Fuuton techniques had to have ample chakra reserves. Especially since the secret behind wind manipulation was expelling large amounts of chakra into the air, inundating the air with the chakra, and then controlling the air to form winds, tornados, cyclones, and the like.

Neji was silent as he recalled his personal experiences from the battle, piecing the information together. Naruto's Tatewaru jutsu was a mass of chakra-charged air circling the forearm and hand. The speeds at which the wind circled his arm were what gave the jutsu its incredible cutting and stabbing abilities. _Formidable, perhaps…but it shouldn't have worked._

When compared to the properties of the Kaiten, there arose a big problem. The Kaiten was a shield of chakra spinning at high speed. That's where all of its strength came from: chakra spinning at such speeds that nothing should've been able to pierce it. Even at the top.

_The Tatewaru_ shouldn't _have pierced my Kaiten. But it _did_. How?!_

This was where Neji was stumped. He just couldn't understand how it could've happened. And something told him that it wasn't just sheer luck that had allowed Naruto to do it. Neji would not rest until he found out how the Tatewaru had pierced the Kaiten! He was a genius, a _prodigy_. This would not stump him.

His stride became forceful as he traversed through one of Konoha's training fields, his mind focused on one thing and one thing only…which was why his lightheadedness moments later caught him by surprise. _A genjutsu?_

It was subtle, even for a genjutsu, but he still noticed it. His guard was raised in an instant. His Byakugan activated instinctively, allowing him to spot the faint trails of chakra whisking through the air. Following the trail of the chakra back towards its source with his eyes, he spotted the chakra signature of a pink-haired person. _That's the Uzumaki's teammate…Haruno Sakura…what is she doing out here?_

Succumbing to curiosity, he turned and quietly approached the kunoichi. He watched silently as she concentrated on the genjutsu she was apparently maintaining. It almost appeared as though she were dancing; her body was alive with movement as she manipulated the chakra with her hands, fingers, her limbs, and other joints on the body. This constant movement caused the genjutsu to waver as a tug-of-war took place. She sought to control it to do what she wanted, while it seemed reluctant to cooperate. Her green eyes were closed as she forced herself to concentrate, sweat coating her large forehead and dripping down her chin.

The genjutsu was wavering badly for other reasons as well. Neji didn't need his Byakugan active to know how low her chakra was and one only needed to look at her physical symptoms to know. _She's going to collapse soon._

Although Neji often struck other people as cold-hearted, he didn't particularly enjoy the slight feeling of guilt he always got when he didn't give people he hated advice. Especially if it was advice that would prevent them from hurting themselves.

Sighing in defeat, he spoke up for the first time since arriving. "Stop, Haruno-san, you're going to faint soon."

"YAI!!" Sakura visibly jumped as a surprised yelp escaped her throat. The genjutsu dropped in an instant as her concentration faltered. Turning to face the direction of the intruder, her hand automatically flew towards her kunai pouch.

To say she was surprised at who found her was an understatement.

"Hyuuga Neji?" she asked, blinking her eyes as though to make sure that they weren't deceiving her. "Uh…w-what are you doing here?" She felt surprisingly defensive. Especially considering his superiority complex and she was weaker than normal

Neji just stared at her for a moment, feeling a very strong urge to leave. Now that he'd offered this bit of advice, his conscious would be clear later on. He wanted to get back to work on solving the mystery of how a supposedly invincible jutsu was beaten by the 'dead-last' of Konohagakure. But just as he was about to leave, his mind hit him with a very important reminder: this girl was Naruto's teammate.

Maybe she knew something about that jutsu that he didn't…

"Neji-san?" Sakura repeated, recapturing his attention.

"I was thinking," he answered truthfully.

"Oh," was all she said before her legs suddenly gave out from under her feet and sent her to the ground. _Ow_, she whined mentally. Reaching into her weapons' pouch, she pulled out a small canteen of water and hurriedly took a long gulp.

Seeing Neji still standing where he had been, she lowered the cold beverage with a sigh of content. He obviously wanted something if he was still around; her quick mind already thought of several reasons as to why. "What do you want, Hyuuga-san?"

"That jutsu you were doing," Neji said, stalling slightly as he tried to arrange his thoughts. "What was it?"

Blushing slightly, she glanced away in embarrassment. "Um, just a little something I want to show someone when he returns…so he knows I don't need his jutsus."

"Who?"

"Naruto," she answered, torn between smiling and frowning.

It almost seemed ironic to her that she was seeking his forgiveness and approval by what she was doing. She could still see the look of fury on Naruto's face when he had seen her with his scrolls. A look that she honestly never wanted to see on his face again. She would make new techniques on her own from now on. _That way, I won't feel compelled to steal from you…again._

Neji was quiet for a moment, analyzing the information Sakura had inadvertently given him. She was clearly trying to make a jutsu for herself, as well as for her teammate. Yet, she was also making it to 'show she didn't need _his_.' _Could that mean…?_

"Do you know anything about that jutsu Naruto used on me?" he asked suddenly, cutting to chase. "That 'Tatewaru?'"

Sakura only arched her eyebrow at him for a moment. Then a small smile played across her lips as she glanced away. "A little," she said truthfully. "But, I think you should know that its true name is the Kaze Kiwa."

"Kaze Kiwa?" he asked, that sounded…rather _simple_ for such a deadly jutsu. "What about the Tatewaru? A nickname, perhaps?"

"Something like that," she said, glancing at him with a slight smirk.

"Do you know how it works?" he demanded suddenly.

Sakura blinked at the harshness that came to his voice. "Sort of." _What's his deal…?_

"How does he make it spin around his arm?" Despite himself, Neji felt an excitement growing within; finally, he was about to get some concrete answers to his dilemma.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked, reluctant to part with information that wasn't hers.

Neji bit back the sharp command he was about to snap out. What he needed was her to tell him, not clam up because he was being to forceful. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he turned a long stare at her. Inside, he began debating whether or not tell her the truth. It was with another long sigh of resignation that he realized what choice should be made.

But…this was still going to sting his already-battered pride to admit this.

"I want to improve my jutsu," he said quietly as he looked up, blank white eyes suddenly filling with determination. "By knowing how his jutsu was able to…beat mine, I can work to fix the…" He nearly struggled to say the next word. "_flaws_ it has."

Sakura was quiet for a moment as she watched the prodigy. By his reluctance to reply and the hesitation in his answers, it was easy to see that he had given himself a minor blow to his pride. And just by asking a few simple questions! He was so much like Sasuke-kun that it was almost funny.

That would mean that he was being honest with his intentions.

But then another dilemma presented itself to her. Should she give him the information that she had imprinted into her memory? It was Naruto's, not hers. She was trying to gain his forgiveness by crafting her own jutsu. That would show him that she would never use his jutsu because she could make her own jutsus in her own unique way. If she gave Neji this information, wouldn't that be a step in the opposite direction? Or, more likely, a _mile_ in the opposite direction?

On the other hand, there was something else she'd come to suspect about all boys in general: they always needed to have opponents stronger than themselves. It gave them a reason to continue on, to push themselves forward, to meet those opponents in battle and beat them.

Pride.

Then realization dawned on her. Neji had been Naruto's opponent at the beginning of the Final Exam. He'd trained extensively to meet and beat him, and he had. Now Naruto was probably, subconsciously, searching for his next great opponent. But Neji had now chosen Naruto as his next great obstacle, his first true _rival_. And if he managed to beat Naruto, her teammate would have another reason to get stronger. _It's win-win!_

"Alright," she said, fighting back shivers of fear. Memories of Naruto's reaction when he caught her stealing his scrolls were still startlingly fresh in her mind. "Now what did you want to know?"

"How he could make the air circle his arm so _quickly_," Neji said, his face one of extreme seriousness. "How he's able to hold the wind into that shape while he moves. Also, which is a greater strength for this 'Kaze Kiwa,' stabbing or slashing?"

It was as he was saying it's proper name that Neji's revulsion for it increased. How could such a jutsu have such a silly name? He decided there and then that he'd only call it by the 'Tatewaru' as it was much more fitting.

Sighing and trying to will away a feeling of foreboding that was descending upon her, she answered between taking more sips of water. "He focuses his chakra into a single point in front of his fingers. From there, he is able to generate a spinning motion that carries on down his forearm. The chakra he expels into the air from the tenketsu on his forearm gets drawn into the rotation, as does the air. The faster he can rotate that single point, the faster the air and chakra spin."

Neji's eyes widened slightly as he suddenly caught onto where this explanation was going. "I see…" he said too quietly for her to hear.

"The air and chakra become attached by this single point of chakra," Sakura continued, not noticing Neji's sudden inattentiveness. "As long as he keeps that starting point spinning, the air will become like a slicing wind that will be able to cut through anything he needs. So, I personally think that its true strength isn't that it can stab or slash, but both."

Glancing up at Neji, she spotted his glassy gaze. In his mind, he was comparing this new information to what he knew of the Kaiten…and it was all so _clear_. Now he understood! It made perfect sense; in fact, the simplicity of it all was almost insulting. Why didn't he figure it out sooner?!

"Neji-san?" a foreign voice said softly from a far away land.

He was swiftly drawn back out of his private thoughts. He knew what to do now. Righting himself, he turned and started to walk away. Sakura just watched him in surprise. _What's with him?_

Before he'd completely left, however, he suddenly stopped and spoke out loudly enough for her to hear. "Don't try to control the chakra, just let it flow. It knows what you want it to do, just let it."

Sakura just blinked in surprise as the Hyuuga walked away. Did that mean what she thought it meant? _Did…did he just give me advice on my genjutsu?_

Slowly, a small smile crept up her face as she waited for her chakra reserves to refill. _Naruto…maybe I'll have it done by the time you get back…_

* * *

_He focuses his chakra into a single point!_

Spinning it caused the chakra from his hand and forearm to swirl and charge the air, forming strands of chakra-charged wind. When it collided with the top of his Kaiten, that single point of chakra had been able to meld into his sphere of energy. And because the strands of chakra and air were circling his hand and arm in perfect rotation with the Kaiten, it formed a type of cocoon or glove that allowed his hand to enter. And yet, there were still enough spare air strands for Naruto to have been able to cut up his face.

Up until Sakura had explained it to him, Neji had been focusing on the wind circling Naruto's arm. Not the focal point at which caused it to spin at all. No wonder why he hadn't figured this out earlier!

It was so simple, _brilliantly _simple! Especially with how the Kaiten depended solely on the balance of the user to work properly!

The key to performing the Kaiten correctly all rested on the user's ability to evenly distribute his weight as the chakra circled his body. That was why the Kaiten had always had a thicker layer of chakra around the equator. Since chakra is pouring out of all the tenketsu of the body simultaneously, of course it would be thicker in the middle since Kaiten users usually had their arms there to help balance themselves as they spun.

The chakra was thinnest at the top due to the lack of added tenketsu. The top was also the slowest rotating portion of the jutsu. Naruto had realized this…and now, so did Neji. With what he'd learned on the Tatewaru, Neji was baffled to realize what this could mean. _Have any other Hyuuga ever realized this vulnerability?_

What would've happened if an enemy had discovered this weakness during a time of war and exploited it? Why hadn't his ancestors discovered this weakness sooner? There were dozens of questions that he had no real answers for.

Now he knew that he _had_ to improve the Kaiten. Such a weakness could not be tolerated.

He was walking on reflex, not even realizing that he had reentered the clan compound. That is, not until he nearly walked into someone. Recoiling back, he bowed submissively as he stepped aside from that person. "My apologies."

"Neji-san," a familiar voice said.

Neji's eyes snapped upward as he recognized the voice of Hyuuga Hiashi. Hiashi-sama was gazing at him with his sharp yet indifferent eyes. Neji had no doubt that even if he had his Byakugan active, he wouldn't be able to know what the man was thinking. Hiashi was an expert at hiding his thoughts, expressions, and moods.

"Hai, Hyuuga-sama?" Neji asked as he looked up fully at the man. He still wasn't sure what he thought of his uncle after hearing about the truth of his father's death. Nor did he know how to properly act around him now.

"You seem extremely lost in thought, Neji-san," Hiashi observed, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Would you like to share your thoughts?"

Neji just stared blankly up at the man for a moment. His face was neither expectant, nor commanding. Hiashi just watched him, waiting patiently for his answer. Perhaps the key to improving the Kaiten lay in actually asking for..._help_ from the Main Branch?

His pride would have to endure one more blow.

"I was considering ways of improving the Kaiten, Hyuuga-sama," Neji answered quietly.

"Why would the Kaiten need to be improved?" Hiashi asked, genuinely curious to his nephew's reasons.

"I've discovered how Uzumaki Naruto was able to beat it."

It was with that answer that he had the clan leader's undivided attention.

* * *

"Agh…AGH…_DAMMIT!!!_" 

Naruto lay on the ground, panting heavily. Sweat was running freely down his forehead and neck. His headband was thoroughly drenched in it, as was his white undershirt and most of his sweater. His eyes were closed in an attempt to block out the blinding light of the prairie sun.

Naruto's chakra supply was exhausted. He only had enough to pull himself into a sitting position, only to start beating his fists into the dirt as his foul temper reared its ugly head.

"_WHY WON'T IT WORK?!?!_" he screamed out as loud as his strained voice could allow. "I try putting some power into it, and it dies on me! I try to add some control, and it backfires! I try to ease my chakra into it, and it doesn't even spark! UGH!! _I'VE HAD IT!!_"

"Must you always yell?" a familiar voice demanded nearby.

Turning sharply, Naruto spotted Tsunade leaning against one of the many rock outcroppings in the area. She looked better than the last time he'd seen her at the bar where they had fought four days earlier. She was sober now, yet it was clear that she seemed depressed about something. It was apparent in the way her eyes were downcast with untold sadness.

"YEAH!" Naruto snapped, not even batting an eye to the fact that she snuck up on him. "I can't get this jutsu! The chakra won't cooperate! And it just feels good to yell when you're mad!"

Snorting at the boy's simple explanation, Tsunade glanced around at her surroundings for any signs of what the boy was up to. Aside from what looked to be a dozen unnatural rock ledges off to the side, nothing stood out to hint at what he had been doing. "Just what type of jutsu are you trying to make?" she asked, out of curiosity since it was likely she'd not be seeing it anyway. "A Doton? A Katon?"

"I suck at Katon," Naruto mumbled as he staggered over to a small box a short distance away. Propping it open, he withdrew a bottle of water and quickly began taking large gulps of the refreshing fluid. Tsunade wandered over to him, peering absentmindedly into the box. It was half filled with water bottles that were yet to be drank. The other half was filled with empty bottles.

"What do you want, Baa-san?" Naruto asked when he lowered the bottle.

The next thing he knew, he was flying through the air and impacting into a rock ledge fifty meters away. It was only after he fell out of the imprint he'd engraved into the rock that he felt it: a sharp stinging slap mark on his cheek.

"_OW!!_" he cried out as he cradling the mark tentatively, completely ignoring the look of rage on the old woman's face. "That _hurt!!_"

"Don't call me that, brat!" Tsunade snapped, dangerously.

"And why not?" Naruto asked, turning an accusatory glare at her. "You _are_ old, you know?" The sight of the throbbing vein on Tsunade's forehead brought up memories of an angry Sakura, prompting Naruto shut his mouth. _Geez, how come all of the girls I meet have to be so foul-tempered??_ Oddly enough, the similarities between Tsunade and Sakura were actually causing him to smile. _Heh…they _are _kind of similar, aren't they?_

Tsunade tried to restrain herself from lashing out at the boy, even though the thought of doing such was such a tempting one. Would it really be such a bad thing to kill this kid before Orochimaru performed his little jutsu?

Nevertheless, she was distracted from further thoughts of such when loud laughter erupted from the boy. Turning her attention back to the boy, she glared at him for a moment. Quickly losing her patience, she snapped out, "What's so funny, _brat_?"

"You just reminded me of someone I know," Naruto said, still slightly rubbing his cheek. His smile had turned into laughter. "A real fangirl with a big forehead and an even bigger temper."

"And why do I--?"

"Her favorite hobby was smacking me around before we became teammates," Naruto said. Though his voice was cheerful, his face suddenly hardened, most likely from unpleasant memories that followed.

Tsunade noticed the sudden change in attitude. It would seem that what Jiraiya had told her of the boy's early life was correct. As reproachful thoughts of Konoha were racing through her mind, Naruto turned and walked over to water bottle he'd dropped in his brief flight.

"Tell me something, brat," she said as he came back towards her. "Why do you still stay in Konoha? I know your life there was hard, cruel, and unfair. No one liked you or wanted to be around you. So why not run away? Why stay loyal to a village that clearly doesn't want you?"

Naruto, who'd been in the process of bending down to replace the bottle, stiffened at her question. He lowered his gaze from her sight as his small fake grin faded. Slowly he stood back up and faced her. The look he gave her was one of absolute seriousness, something that looked frighteningly out of place on the face of the loud brat she'd come to think of him as.

"It's simple, Tsunade-san," he said quietly. "The reason I didn't and still don't run away. The reason I want to become Hokage. The reason why I _will_ become Hokage. The reason I will never betray Konoha is very simple."

His sharpened eyes of steely blue gazed directly into her soft chocolate-brown ones. "To run away from something. To quit before trying. To give into the demands of other people…that is the easy way out, the _coward's_ way out. And I'm _not_ a coward. That is why I'll _never_ leave Konoha."

In that instant, the dynamic between the two changed.

Tsunade found herself…envying this small boy. He knew what he wanted in life. He was not going to allow the desires of other people to deter him from his goal. Naruto would proceed forward, without hesitation or regret.

The beginnings of respect for him were planted in that instant.

"Is that all you wanted to know?" Naruto asked, ignorant of what was running through her mind.

Tsunade nodded mutely as she gazed down at him. Then, out of the blue, a bright foxy grin split across his face. It was so large that he had to close his eyes from the strain. "Now that this 'touchy' conversation is over, can you leave now? I really need to get back to work, and you're really distracting me!"

He spoke with such cheer and honesty that Tsunade could only bring herself to roll her eyes before walking away. Behind her, she heard him begin chanting the sequence of some kind of handseal set.

For the first time since she started this bet, Tsunade began to have second thoughts.

A sudden loud explosion and following shouts of anger behind her only brought snickers of amusement from her. Yet for some reason, she found herself honestly curious to see what the boy would come up with in the next three days.

"CRAP!! CRAP!! _CRAP!!_" Naruto's angry voice accompanied her all the way back to the town. "**_DAMN STUPID JUTSU!!!_**"

* * *

It was late in the evening several days after her talk with Neji when Sakura finally dragged herself into bed. 

A long day of D-class missions and then her following training session left her completely exhausted. And the fact that she was the one pulling the bulk of the missions didn't help much either. With Naruto out on a short training mission and Sasuke usually too exhausted from his own private training sessions, all of the effort fell onto her.

But, at the end of the day, she found that they didn't really care. D-class missions were walks in the park, sometimes literally, compared to the one C-class turned A-class that she'd been involved in. Add in the fact that each evening brought her that much closer to mastering her first original jutsu.

Now she completely understood why Naruto created his own jutsus; there was a certain _thrill_ to it. To create something that had never been made before…to make something that you could scream out to the world was yours and yours alone…to see it gradually grow stronger under your guidance…to know all of the secrets about it, strengths and weaknesses alike. The young girl couldn't help but smile; the pride she felt in herself was an extremely empowering feeling.

"You're home late," a deep, familiar voice said from somewhere nearby.

Looking behind her, she flashed her red-haired father a tired smile. "I was training…and I lost track of time. Gomennasai, otousan."

"I see," he said. Though his face was hidden by the darkness of the hallway, Sakura had the distinct impression that he was smiling. "You've been doing that a lot lately."

"I guess I'm just motivated," she said, trying to sound humble. "…is there something you need, otousan?"

"No, no," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Just curious, that's all…Good night, Sakura-chan."

Nodding to her father, she slipped quietly into her room and collapsed into her bed, barely having the strength of will or physical strength for that matter to change out of her clothes.

Neither of her parents were shinobi. Unlike Sasuke, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba, she had no one at her home to go to for support for ninja-related matters. The fact that her parents still supported and cared for her, despite the dangers of her chosen profession, only flooded her with relief. _It's good to have parents_…

But now that she thought about it, she and Naruto the only ones of the Rookie Nine who had no other ninja relatives.

That thought brought a somber insight. Sasuke's clan had been slaughtered in one night and Naruto was an orphan. For all Sakura knew, no one even _knew_ the blonde boy's parents. To be without family…

Sakura's smile turned into a sad frown. _Poor guys…Team Seven's almost the only family they have now…_

The pink-haired kunoichi made a note to apologize to Naruto whenever he returned from his mission. In the meantime…perhaps she could help Sasuke with his own private training missions.

It's just what friends do, right?

* * *

Jiraiya couldn't resist letting loose a long whistle of amazement at what he saw. "Wow." 

The rugged prairie had been violently transformed in the past week; numerous mounds of dirt and debris were scattered throughout the area. The winds had long since pulled all the loose dirt and dust, leaving only bare rock. _Heh. Been busy, has he?_

Jiraiya's gaze turned to the summit of the largest mound; spotting a small orange-black figure. Hopping deftly off the large, red frog he'd been riding on, Jiraiya bent down toward his apprentice and grinned slightly into the boy's face. "What's the matter?" he asked, almost teasingly. "Can't control it very well?"

"Shut up…Ero…Sannin," Naruto growled. He pulled himself painfully into a sitting position, giving the giant frog a nod of acknowledgement. "Whaddya…want?"

Sitting down next to the boy, Jiraiya dug through his robes and extracted a small bottle of what looked like lemonade. Offering the bottle to the boy, he said, "Here, a little chakra stimulant might be what you need."

"No," Naruto said, taking the bottle nonetheless. "What I need…is a freaking…_miracle!_"

Jiraiya arched an eyebrow as Naruto downed the entire bottle in seconds, feeling a small smile creeping up his face. "Really?" he drawled out. "And why's that? Unless I'm mistaken, you seem to be doing pretty good as it is."

"Pretty good won't do me much good," Naruto grumbled, setting the bottle down and crossing his arms. "I tried to make a jutsu earlier but I couldn't get the control right! So I decided to make this one, but I can't make it form properly. I mean, I need the power of a tora seal but then I'll lose the control that the tori seal gives me!" Naruto growled and cursed; his irritation was only growing by the moment. He had to complete a new jutsu by the deadline. He _had_ to!

"Hm," Jiraiya said, contemplating Naruto's dilemma. "That is a problem. Using the proper hand signs makes all the difference with any technique."

"I don't suppose," the boy said, eyeing the man almost hopefully. "…you have any words of _wisdom_…do you?"

Jiraiya couldn't help but grin. For such a stubborn boy, at least he knew that there were times to ask for guidance. "Heh. Asking help from your superior, eh?" Of course, he couldn't resist a good-natured barb. "Looks like you aren't completely hopeless after all."

Naruto scowled at that remark. "Bite me."

"A tora seal or a tori seal," Jiraiya muttered, ignoring Naruto. "Hmm…power or control. Since I assume you're making a Doton jutsu, you need both…have you tried a different handseal combination?"

"Of course!" Naruto snapped, waving his hand in a sweeping gesture at the surrounding earth mounds. "That's where those came from. The handseal set I have now is the best one because I can control the damn thing easier."

"Hm…" Naruto was too occupied glaring at the rock underneath him to notice Jiraiya's slight grin. "Maybe this is a sign…that you should try something else while you still have time."

"_What?!_" Naruto snapped, turning a disbelieving glare towards the man. "Come _on_, Ero-Sannin! Not even I could make and master a new jutsu in less than one day!"

"Then what about all those techniques you told Tsunade-hime about?" the man asked, torn between smiling and frowning.

"I was lucky," Naruto said ruefully.

Eyeing the suddenly solemn boy, Jiraiya quietly asked, "Having second thoughts?"

"Maybe a few," Naruto said, even quieter than Jiraiya. "But if I could only figure this handseal problem, I'd have a lot less trouble!"

Second thoughts were always unnerving to him. He believed that once he set a goal, he shouldn't deviate from it, no matter the complications or consequences. Changing goals halfway through also conflicted with his very nature. After all, he was going to be Hokage! It would do him no good if he changed goals that he set for himself. That's just bad character.

"Maybe you're just going about it the wrong way," Jiraiya said, glancing absentmindedly at the summoned frog. "Ever thought of adding seals to your body to help focus your chakra?"

"Seals?" Naruto asked. Then he spotted the frog as though for the first time. _Huh…?_

Jiraiya was about to explain his idea to the boy, but then he heard a small laugh from Naruto. Glancing over, he spotted a growing grin on his face before the boy slid gracefully into his thinking pose. _Hmm? What's got him smiling?_

After a few moments, Naruto suddenly nodded, apparently pleased with whatever he had just thought of, and looked up. Grinning like an idiot, Naruto suddenly bounced to his feet with renewed energy. The energy drink, combined with Naruto's own quick recovery rate, seemed to have already taken effect. However, there was something else; what exactly had the frog inspired in Naruto?

"Thanks, Jiraiya-sama!" Naruto cried, so happy that he actually hugged the man. "That's just what I needed!"

Chuckling as the boy let him go, Jiraiya patted his head. _Heh. Can't keep this kid down for long._ Standing up, he jumped over to his summon. As much as he wanted to stay and see what Naruto had come up with, he had to get back to the city.

But before he left…

"Say, boy?" he called over as he sat back down comfortably on his summon's head. "Would you like to proof-read my newest volume of _Icha Icha Paradise_? You might be 'stimulated' to do better!"

"**_SCREW YOU ERO-SANNIN!!!_**" was the answer.

Jiraiya grinned once more; he still had plenty of time to mold Naruto into the ideal pervert. _Your Oiroke no Jutsu is good and all, but if you're going to be a seasoned pervert like myself, you'll need guidance!_

But that would come another day. He had more important business in Tanzaku-Gai.

* * *

Shizune wondered how far Naruto had progressed. 

Ever since she'd found him on that first day, Shizune had been periodically checking up on him during the evening hours. Now that tomorrow was the end of the bet, it would probably be a good thing to drag him back to town, no doubt with him kicking and screaming all the way. It was a shame, she had to admit; it was more than likely that the boy wouldn't have succeeded. _I really wish he would though…as much as I hate to admit it, Tsunade-sama really needs to get over her depression._

Tsunade's self-inflicted depression had been going on for some time now…quite a while, in fact. It was high time someone got her out of it. Shizune had been hoping that Jiraiya and his rambunctious student might have been able to do it, had it not been for Orochimaru and his offering. _How dare he try and use Tsunade's loved ones like that…_

As Shizune traversed over the prairie, her thoughts slowly drifted as she began noticing things. Just like during her previous visits, things had changed. The mounds of dirt and rock were now considerably larger in size and had a little more shape to them. The tallest of them reached nearly as high as a four-story building.

There was an eerie silence that hung in the air. Well, when compared to what she'd been hearing for the past week – varying from screams and colorful curses to pants and wheezing – anything would be counted as 'silence'. Save for the ever-present wind, it was so quiet that she was momentarily sure that he might have gone back to Tanzaku-Gai by himself.

But then something happened.

She didn't know exactly what it was. As she was just about to turn around to leave, there was an extremely brief flash of light from somewhere nearby. This was quickly followed by…

****

KRAKA-DOOM!!

…a loud, resonating explosion that echoed through the air.

Visibly jumping in fright and surprise, her hand flying instinctively towards her hidden poison needle launcher, she searched for the source of the explosion. Her teeth chattered; that had been so, so _loud!_ _Enemy shinobi…? Could it be Orochimaru?_

Her worries were eased by the sounds of…cheering?

Glancing up at one of the taller earth mounds, she spotted a dark silhouette painted against the starry sky. And that silhouette was cheering happily in the loud voice that she was only now beginning to recognize.

"YAHOO! _I DID IT!_"

Naruto.

Shizune calmly hopped towards and onto the mound. He was doing some sort of victory dance that would've struck her as hilarious if she hadn't so close to freaking out.

"Yeah!" he was cheering. "Oh _YEAH!!_ _Sarutobi Sandaime Hokage no Jutsu_: COMPLETE!!!"

Before Shizune could utter a word, the boy suddenly faltered. His cheering died as his knees gave out underneath him. "Uh…oh boy, feeling sleepy now…" was all he could mumble before he collapsed.

Shizune quietly caught the boy before he could fall; she gently laid him down on the ground below as she automatically shifted into medic-nin mode.

His face was coated in a heavy layer of sweat. His breathing came out as panting. As her examination continued down his body, she spotted something peculiar on the palms of his hands. Even in the poor light provided by the moon, she could see that the skin was of a red-purple color and raw: signature signs of chakra burns. There also seemed to be some sort of markings on each of his palms; however, she dismissed the idea, especially considering the fact that there were also faint smears of blood in his palms as well. His muscles were taut, and his awkward positioning indicated multiple cramps. _Hmm…what a mess._

Picking him up gently, she dropped lightly to the ground. She needed to get him to the motel so she could properly treat his self-induced training injuries. Though, now that she thought about it, perhaps Tsunade-sama should heal them…especially since it was her idea for him to do this in the first place.

Sarutobi Sandaime Hokage no Jutsus…

Shizune smiled at the name. She could barely wait to see the look on Tsunade-sama's face when she learned that he had made a new jutsu.

* * *

The early morning sun was blinding to the eyes of those who had the misfortune of walking towards it. Yet the brightest light also casts the darkest shadows; something Kabuto was eternally grateful for. 

While his mentor met with Tsunade, he had been ordered to go prevent her apprentice from interfering. In any way possible. But the scene he found her in wasn't what he had expected.

He had originally planned to ambush her once she left the motel that he tracked her to. However, upon seeing who her companions were, he knew he'd have to report back to Orochimaru immediately. Jiraiya, while no threat to his mentor, would be a hindrance should he interfere. But he was more surprised by the one he saw with Tsunade's apprentice.

Uzumaki Naruto.

According to the information he had gathered on the boy in the Forest of Death, as well as in the Chuunin Final Exam, he would be nothing more than an annoying pest. And with his acute sensory abilities, it was only a matter of time before he sensed Kabuto's presence.

Even as he pulled back and raced back to find his master, Kabuto couldn't help but feel his bloodlust rise. He found himself desiring a battle with the enigma…and not just so he could gather more data on him.

Kabuto wanted an all-out battle to the death, to determine whose strength was greater. To see if the blonde had improved since the exam. To see if the boy would be forced to wield the Kyuubi's youki again. To see if this little oddity was as powerful as he was surprising. And finally…to see how well his 'invention' would work.

Kabuto smiled malevolently at the thought of his newest creation. _Oh yes Naruto-kun…let us see how well you fare._

* * *

**(Author's Note)** Man, as much as I love writing and this story scenario, this chapter was just a pain in the ass. I don't think the story wanted to help much on this chapter, which is a crying shame if you ask me. Though I personally love the Neji/Sakura and Neji/Hiashi scenes. Some fair character development there I think. 

And I hope those scenes are what those of you have been whining about in your recent reviews. Heh, consider yourselves lucky that you chose this time to complain about it. Because I honestly can't foresee a better time for a little development on the Rookie Nine than during Naruto's little training time right now.

I do have some good news for you guys. I finally figured out what the story was trying to make me do with the whole Hyuuga issue. No hints just yet, but I will say that when Naruto returns to Konoha, he is going to have his hands full.

Next chapter: _The battle finally commences. With Kabuto proving to be a much stronger opponent than he originally predicted, Naruto must pull out all the stops if he even hopes for a victory. But will it be enough? Wait and see what happens when: _All Hell Breaks Loose.


	28. All Hell Breaks Loose

****

(Author's Note) This chapter is dedicated to my beta-reader and good friend, Ultra Sonic 007. You have NO idea how much I appreciate all the help you've given me on this chapter.

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 28—All Hell Breaks Loose_

"Whoa," was all Naruto could mutter upon seeing the recent destruction.

The already destroyed palace was now sporting an enormous crater near the first hole Tsunade had put into the wall. A crater that was easily four times larger than the one she'd put into the street during her fight with Naruto.

"Tsunade-hime must've been ticked," Jiraiya muttered with an almost relieved smile. Nevertheless, he was irritated; the drug that Tsunade had slipped into his sake last night had inhibited his inner coils. His chakra was hard to manipulate now; not what he needed now. Turning to Naruto, who now sported a sheepish and scared look at the thought of how strong the female Sannin _really _was, he raised an eyebrow as he asked, "Do you know where they went?"

Glancing around, Naruto found that pet pig of Shizune's sniffing at Tsunade's discarded robe. Hurrying over, he picked it up and took a long breath of it. Handing Ton-Ton over to Shizune, he took only a second to test the winds and to search out any traces of chakra nearby. "Got her…This way!"

Then he took off with Shizune and Jiraiya only a second behind. However, Naruto suddenly felt tense because of a few other smells he detected…familiar ones.

Snake breath. Sweat. Blood.

He poured on the speed.

* * *

"Again!" Hiashi barked. 

Panting with a fine layer of sweat covering him, Neji dropped back into the Jyuuken stance. If he'd ever thought that advanced Jyuuken was easier to perform once he understood the basics, he now realized just how wrong he was.

Somewhere deep inside him, Neji felt an overwhelming pride begin to take shape. Although he was skilled enough to warrant some pride, it was all due to the new skills he was learning. It was only after he'd explained how Uzumaki had beaten the Kaiten that Hiashi-sama announced that he was taking Neji under his wing.

_Advanced_ Jyuuken training! A Main Family member – the Head Elder, no less – teaching a member of the Branch Family! It was unprecedented throughout the entire history of the Hyuuga clan.

When Neji had asked why the head of the clan would bother to train a Branch Member, Hiashi just gave him a small grin. Then he proceeded to explain. He was going to teach Neji the advanced version of the Kaiten. What Neji knew was the Hakkesho Kaiten.

Hiashi wanted to teach him the Hakkesho Dai Kaiten. But before he could even attempt it, he needed to be fully instructed in the advanced methods of Jyuuken. The very knowledge would have made Neji grin with glee had he been a more emotionally expressive person.

The two Hyuuga were in a small courtyard, just outside the Main Family's private dojo. Hiashi was running him through the forms of stances that Neji had only gotten glimpses of. As a younger shinobi, he had often spied on the Main Family members practicing here; it was how he had been able to learn and develop the Hakke Rokujuyon Sho on his own. But now he was being _taught_.

The very idea seemed so foreign to him.

Just as Neji was about to begin the exercise again, a quiet voice spoke up from the doorway of the dojo. A voice that he honestly wasn't sure how to react to.

"Otou-sama," Hinata said quietly, just loud enough for them to notice her. "You requested my presence?"

"Hai," Hiashi said, turning his attention to his eldest daughter. "It's time for your evaluation."

At those words, Hinata glanced almost fearfully towards Neji who had slid out of his stance. His cold eyes just stared unblinking into hers, almost daring her to speak out against him. Quickly switching her gaze back to her father, Hinata gave a weak nod. It was still fairly early in the morning. Her team practice wasn't due to start until another two hours.

Plenty of time for a short 'examination.'

Walking slowly, she had to hold in the automatic sigh of relief when she saw Neji turn and walk away slightly.

Hiashi stepped forward and slide into a basic Jyuuken stance, patiently waiting for her. Fighting down a small amount of fear and bile that rose up in her throat, she mirrored his movements. Trying desperately to find that courage that she'd discovered not so long ago. What she found instead wasn't courage, but determination.

No matter what happened next, she'd do her absolute best. Like Naruto-kun.

Neji only watched in silence as Hinata continued the evaluation, remembering Naruto's reactions during both the preliminaries and the Final Exam.

"Don't stop it! **Look at her!**_" _

"Tell me, bastard. How is it with those 'all-seeing' eyes you are so blind?"

"You what to know something, Neji-**san**_? Have you _**ever** _heard of a time when I've followed the rules? I'll live my _**own** _life! So don't you _**dare** _tell me how to!" _

"Hinata-chan is a very kind and good person! **She didn't deserve what you did to her, teme!**_" _

"I don't want people to live my life for me…besides, if I submitted to my 'destiny,' I would be dead…there are only a few people who'd care if I died and those people mean more to me than my dream…and you hurt one of my most **precious** _of people, Neji-san."_

Neji was silent as a few unsettling thoughts came to mind. Naruto's power during his fight in the Final Exam…had it also stemmed from his desire to avenge Hinata? _Could someone really become so powerful just because they were fighting for someone else?_

The Branch Family member resigned himself to silence as he watched Hinata struggle to her feet after a devastating palm strike. No matter what Hiashi hit her with…she continued to stand up. Did she also stand against the stream of destiny, like Naruto did?

Perhaps Naruto's own words would force him to reevaluate his own opinion of his cousin…

* * *

Naruto's nose continued to have a perfect record. 

Tsunade was facing down none other than Orochimaru and his silver-haired assistant. An assistant that made Naruto's eyes narrow.

"Kabuto-teme?" Naruto said, as he trained a murderous gaze on the traitor. "I thought I recognized that stink of sweat and blood."

Jiraiya just smirked at this interaction. "…I see you know each other."

Tsunade, however, was far from ready to allow anyone to interrupt her fight the gray-haired little bastard. He had been irritating her since they started fighting, with the damn smirk of his that seemed to be glued to his face. Brushing past the weakened Jiraiya, she raced for the teenager as fast as her chakra-enhanced muscles could allow. But it wasn't fast enough to reach him before Kabuto slashed his own wrist, showering her in his own blood.

Naruto stared in surprise at seeing Tsunade come to an abrupt halt before the grinning Oto-nin shinobi. His grinned turned evil as he sheathed the kunai and punched the elder woman back into Shizune's arms. "Leave her alone!" Naruto yelled as he charged forward, ignoring Jiraiya's pleas.

Three Kage Bunshins joined Naruto's rush, each flashing through the handseals of the Kaze Kiwa as they ran. _That hand_, he realized as he glanced at the slit wrist. _He can't use his right hand. So…I'll attack from that angle!_

Two attacked head-on, causing Kabuto to jump up to avoid them. As he brought his feet down to grind them into the dirt, they dove under him, rolling. The other two came in from the sides. With his injured right hand, Kabuto threw a spray of blood toward that Naruto's face, only to see the blonde his Kaze Kiwa up and block the blood.

Quickly turning his attention to the other Naruto, he swatted the blonde's hand away and grabbed his sweater. It took only a second to smash the blonde into the other one. Both exploded into smoke.

Before he could react, the first two had sprung forward from behind him. They thrust their Kaze Kiwa into his unprotected back, only to watch as he was replaced by a large boulder.

A boulder with an exploding note.

"Shit!" was all they could gasp before it detonated.

Kabuto appeared next to Orochimaru as the smoke cleared. Neither of them was too surprised to see a scorched boulder in place of where the blonde had been. Smirking slightly, Kabuto dug out a blood-clogging pill and promptly swallowed it. "He seems to have improved a bit," Kabuto said quietly.

"And you're bleeding pretty badly," Orochimaru observed, in a tone that could've been considered worried.

"Would you like to get serious now, Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto asked as he glanced over at the man.

The Hebi-Sannin's response was only a slight movement from his bandaged left arm. The bandage was slowly unwinding.

On the other side of the field, a grumbling voice spoke up. "I hate that bastard," Naruto said as he appeared from behind Shizune and Tsunade. He glanced at the shivering medic-nin and asked, "What's wrong with her?"

Sparing only a moment, Shizune said, "Hemophobia." Then she promptly returned to comforting the badly shivering Tsunade.

"Hemo-what?"

"Fear of blood," Jiraiya said, with an authority in his that neither she nor Naruto had ever heard before. "Shizune, you handle that glasses kid. I'll take Orochimaru…And can you try to fix my body?"

"I can't," Shizune said. "The effects of that drug will probably last for another few hours."

Jiraiya cursed. _Wonderful._

"Wait, Ero-Sannin," Naruto spoke up as he walked forward. "I'm taking Kabuto-teme! Besides, I still need to pay him back for the crap he pulled during the exams."

"No," he said sternly. "This is a completely different playing field from what you're use to. I believe that kid over there is on the same level as Kakashi-san."

"Hmph." Far from impressed, Naruto continued to walk forward. "Really? In that case, I won't need _any _help."

Before Jiraiya could respond, he spotted Kabuto going through a familiar set of handseals. _A summoning jutsu_. Growling in aggravation, he quickly bit his thumb and mirrored the seals.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" The cry echoed out on both sides of the battlefield.

Orochimaru and Kabuto stood upon the heads of two Kyodaija, the giant snakes that served as some of the Hebi-Sannin's personal summons.

Standing in front of Jiraiya…was Gamakichi. "Eh? What's going on here?" the orange frog-summon asked anxiously.

Jiraiya and Naruto both boggled. "**WHA??**"

Orochimaru and Kabuto just stared, looking somewhat insulted. "Perhaps Tsunade was thinking ahead," the teenager muttered to his mentor. "And drugged him to prepare as a sacrifice."

The yellow-eyed Sannin chuckled at the thought. "In any case…I'll take Jiraiya," Orochimaru said, his bloodlust rising rapidly. "The rest are yours."

Kabuto jumped over to the second snake, smirking broadly as the snakes lunged forward. But that smirk vanished quickly enough when they were hit with a powerful gust of wind. Somehow managing to stay attached to his serpent as it was blown back, Kabuto glimpsed a small tornado that was fast disappearing.

A tornado with an orange-black figure in the center. _Kaze Tate, no doubt_, he realized. _Given the amount of chakra he has at his disposal, he can make that whirlwind as large as he wants. Impressive power, but too wasteful. Oh, your stupidity hasn't changed, Naruto-kun_.

"Kabuto!" Naruto yelled as he began sprinting for the traitor. "Your fight is with me!"

Regaining his smirk, he called out, "My pleasure, Naruto-kun!"

* * *

Thanks to Naruto's unexpected gust, Jiraiya was able to catch Orochimaru and his snake companion by surprise with a Doton: Yomi Numa. Due to that surprise, he was nearly able to completely submerge the serpent. He growled in annoyance to realize that he still hadn't bested the drug in his system. _Damn! That was supposed to completely sink him!_ It would take more time it seemed. 

Time: something he didn't have a whole lot of.

He only had a moment's warning as he spotted Orochimaru jump from the snake's head, sprinting at high speed. Flashing through another set of seals, he quickly wrapped himself up in a protective layer of Hari Jizo no Jutsu. Whereas before his hair would grow to nearly three times as long as it had originally been, now it barely reached past his knees.

This resulted in another silent curse from the perverted Sannin. But at the very least, he stopped the snake summon…for now.

Orochimaru chuckled; the hair wasn't even anchored to the ground! His neck extended as he casually shifted the shield of spiky hair aside with a jump kick, exposing Jiraiya's neck. And because Jiraiya's hands were still forming the handseal to keep the jutsu active, he was unable to prevent his former teammate from thrusting his head forward to take a mouthful of flesh into his maw.

But instead of ripping Jiraiya's throat open, Orochimaru instead stepped back and decided to gloat, like usual. "Allow me to remind you of why Konoha has become so weak…"

* * *

It had been Shizune's original intention to run off and fight that 'Kabuto' person after she'd finished cleaning her mentor of the bastard's blood. But now, she was forced to watch as the fight was thrown a great distance away from her. 

All thanks to a simple, if overpowered, Kaze Tate.

Now she watched as the fight between the small blonde and the summoned snake began. It seemed ridiculously obvious that the snake was going to crush him. But instead, Naruto somehow managed to avoid its initial lunge and ended up on tip of the serpent's muzzle. With a simple flick, the snake threw the boy high into the air and lunged forward again, mouth wide open.

As a counter, Naruto formed about a dozen Kage Bunshins while still in midair. She didn't see the handseals, but she did feel the winds. The Kage Bunshins formed some kind of extended version of that windy blade over their bodies while shouting something she couldn't hear very clearly. As they took nosedives at the lunging snake, the real blonde fired up another Kaze Tate.

Gravity, with the added boost of powerful winds pushing them downward, pulled them straight into the snake. Several blondes, one right after another, flew straight down the snake's throat before drilling their ways out of the back of the snake's body. The blondes that didn't enter the snake through the mouth either missed all-together or punched holes through the snake's body in random places. One blonde missile, while not directly entering, even scraped off the scales on its way down before impacting with the earth.

All this happened in less than a few seconds. And when the snake disappeared in a large cloud of smoke, Shizune couldn't help but feel impressed.

Maybe Naruto wouldn't need her help after all…

Don't die, Naruto…

* * *

Kabuto glared at Naruto slightly as he slowly descended from the sky. The Kaze Tate was still active, but only enough to cushion him and slow his fall. Upon reaching a more bearable height, Naruto let it go and dropped the rest of the way unsupported. 

Taking a deep breath to ease his annoyance, Kabuto watched Naruto closely. He was breathing pretty heavily after that little stunt he'd pulled. That struck Kabuto as a little odd. If his data on the boy was correct, then his own chakra capacity was more than enough for that wind combination, even if nature manipulation used more chakra. If the boy was already tired, that could only mean that he wasn't up to full strength. Perhaps he'd b done some strenuous training recently and hadn't fully recovered?

This thought brought a small smirk to his face.

_Yes, that would be just the thing that Naruto-kun would do, based on his personality._ "Tired already, Naruto-kun?" he couldn't resist a taunt though. "This only proves what my research has discovered on you."

"And what's that?" Naruto demanded as he snatched out a kunai. "Being eaten by snakes always put me in really rotten moods, so make it quick!" Flashbacks to the time in the Forest of Death where he had been nearly digested by an equally large snake nearly made him gag.

"Unlike Sasuke-kun," Kabuto said slowly and clearly, making sure to speak in that flat 'know-it-all' tone that he _knew _annoyed the blonde. "You have no future as a shinobi."

Naruto's glare, which had already been cold, turned his eyes into daggers of ice.

"Scary faces and glares don't make up for no talent," Kabuto said, maintaining his tone. "You rely on tricks, surprises, and deceit to win all your battles because you know that, as the acknowledged 'dead-last' of Konohagakure, you will forever be underestimated and looked down upon."

Naruto was beginning to tremble in silent fury.

_Good, good,_ Kabuto thought._ Just a little more._ "Look around you," he concluded. "You are merely an out-of-place genin. You are in a battle with the _Densetsu no Sannin_, the three greatest shinobi to ever come from Konoha, and Orochimaru-sama's right hand man. Without that demon inside you, you are nothing."

That did it.

"_That's it!_" was Naruto's cry of fury as he rushed forward. "_I'm kicking your ass out of PRINCIPLE!!_"

Kabuto slid smoothly into his stance, watching as Naruto's Oboro no Jutsu ignited with no handseals. _Hm, he's mastered it to that point already? But such a simple jutsu, and highly wasteful of chakra. Such a pity_.

Naruto didn't take time to plan his punches. He only dashed forward and struck out as hard and fast as he could. Only to be blocked as though he were a genin fresh from the academy. He tried to remove his fist, only to see that Kabuto held onto it with all of his might. Naruto instead swung his right leg at Kabuto, only to be blocked by an elbow.

The gray-haired teenager retaliated by bringing his knee up towards Naruto's gut. Jumping, Naruto brought his free hand down and caught the knee. Pushing himself up higher, Naruto brought his other foot up towards Kabuto's chin.

Releasing Naruto, Kabuto quickly dropped back, planting his shoulders and hands on the ground. The kick missed badly, and left Naruto almost completely unguarded. He took advantage of this by swinging his feet up and smashing them into the blonde's lower back. The blow threw Naruto clear over Kabuto, and had him tumbling haphazardly across the terrain for a little ways.

"You broadcast your blows too easily, Naruto-kun," Kabuto reprimanded him as he climbed to his feet, shaking his head in shame. And here he had been hoping for some sort of challenge. "You don't even merit the rank of genin. You're practically an insult to the shinobi of Konohagakure."

"_Like I give a damn about that!_" Naruto snapped as he rolled over and started charging forward again. "_I WON'T GIVE UP!!_"

Kabuto could only smirk as the blonde rushed him. It was almost time to unveil his new jutsu.

* * *

"I fail to see why you bothered to take that boy under your wing," Orochimaru said, spitting out some of Jiraiya's blood. "To his credit, he possesses some surprising tactics and abilities…but that is it. Aside from the kitsune youkai sealed in his body, he is nothing more than a common kid." 

Rather than continue their own battle, both Sannin found themselves much more interested in the one Kabuto and Naruto were fighting. But even though his gaze was locked on the battle that their apprentices were having, he never once allowed himself to forget about Jiraiya. Just in case he decided to pull one of his infamous sucker-punches on him.

"That's right," Jiraiya said proudly, also watching the battle. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Yes," Orochimaru drawled slightly. "Looking for someone like yourself. So you decide to take the Yondaime's isan. How…_poetic_."

"Same for you," Jiraiya replied, smirking. This little conversation…oh how it took him back to simpler times. Where the Sannin were allied for Konoha, despite their differences in ideology. Orochimaru, the prodigy who sought as much power as possible. Tsunade, the genius with a temper. And Jiraiya, the fool who defied the odds. "Putting a claim on the last Uchiha in Konoha. How…predictable."

"The Uchiha is stronger than Uzumaki," Orochimaru snapped out of irritation. Jiraiya's stupidity could be so truly annoying at times. "His bloodline alone marks him as a super elite. All he needs is proper training…and molding."

"That may be," Jiraiya said, as he saw Kabuto knock Naruto away deftly. "But all the potential in the world does not equal to the strength of a spirit that never gives up."

Orochimaru couldn't help but sneer. "Must I remind you again? That attitude is precisely what has weakened Konohagakure. Besides," Orochimaru said conceitedly, his sneer morphing into a satisfied smirk as he watched the conflict unfolding below. "You are underestimating the genius of Kabuto."

* * *

"Is that it, Naruto-kun?" Kabuto asked, a small smirk on his face. "That was boring. You can do better than that, can't you?" 

Oboro slipping away, Naruto glared at Kabuto. This traitorous bastard was really beginning to piss him off! But not only was he ridiculously stronger, faster, and smarter than he originally thought, he was using his superior skills to rub his nose in the dirt. Mocking him! Just like so many other people…he wouldn't stand for it. "_You bet I can!!_"

Inside him stomach, Naruto could feel the distinctive warmth of youki starting to seep into his system. Closing his eyes, he looked away and took a long, deep breath of air. The last thing he wanted was to pull out so much youki again that he was incapacitated for days on end…even though it would more than likely result in Kabuto's death. It would almost certainly endanger Tsunade, Shizune, and even Jiraiya if the Kyuubi was able to take hold of him again.

He had to keep his anger in check. He wasn't going to allow the Kyuubi to interfere with another one of _his _battles. _This is _my _fight!_

Movement from Kabuto drew Naruto's attention. The teenager was flashing through a surprisingly familiar set of handseals. Naruto's surprise turned to grim resignation as he recognized the signature glowing blue hands of the Shosen no Jutsu.

But when he suddenly vanished under the ground he stood upon, Naruto could almost see what his tactic was. _Sorry, but I've used that trick too many times to have it used against me!_ Leaping high into the air and backwards, he flashed through his own handseals.

Kabuto erupted from the soil behind him, causing Naruto to reflexively duck under the lunge. As Kabuto whirled around to hit him with the scalpels, Naruto managed to catch his hands in his own. It was entirely thanks to the fact that he'd already started his Kibou Te no Jutsu that the muscles in Naruto's hands weren't slashed and cut up by Kabuto's glowing hands.

What followed as a small shoving contest between both the boys and their respective jutsus. Kabuto's Shosen was slightly more powerful because of both Naruto's inexperience with the Kibou Te and his slightly depleted chakra reserves. But thanks to the spiraling motion of the Kibou Te, the effects of the Shosen were buffered.

Realizing that they weren't getting anywhere, Kabuto lashed out, catching Naruto in the nose with his forehead protector. Whether it was from luck or determination, Naruto's concentration on his Kibou Te didn't falter until Kabuto turned and hurled his dazed form away from him.

Right into a rock-outcropping.

"Interesting jutsu, Naruto-kun," Kabuto commented as he examined his fingers. Even though they had been protected by the Shosen, they were also surrounded by the thinnest layer of chakra. Therefore, the skin of his fingers were burned very slightly from where Naruto's chakra was battling against him. Thankfully there was still enough of his own chakra to shield his muscles. "Very interesting."

"Enmaku no Jutsu!" Naruto snapped out before he blew out the largest cloud of smoke he'd ever produced.

Taken slightly by surprise, Kabuto let out a low growl annoyance. Fighting blind wasn't his forte; he could do it, just not to the extent of his enemy. With reluctance, his closed his eyes and waited for Naruto's next move.

What he heard next wasn't quite what he'd been expecting. It sounded like something large and heavy flying through the air. Dodging quickly, Kabuto could feel it go rushing past him. Flecks of dirt and dust raced past with the object. _Dirt? _He thought for a moment before smirking. _So, he learned a new trick_. _But a basic one nonetheless_.

Hearing more projectiles racing towards him, he moved quickly to dodge those as well. A slight shuffling of the grass alerted him to Naruto's movement. The brat was trying to get behind him.

"You'll have to do much better than that," Kabuto taunted as there was a sudden pause in the battle.

"Oh really?" Naruto's voice called out, somewhat snidely. Then his voice was multiplied by eight. "_Then how about THIS?!_"

The smoke had finally begun to clear. That was how Kabuto spotted the nine blondes that surrounded him, dropping to the ground, yanking considerably large amounts of dirt and rock from the soil, then kicking or throwing them at him. _Hmm_.

Attacked by all sides almost instantaneously, Kabuto found himself somewhat hard pressed to remain ahead of them. It took all his body's flexibility to twist between three of them. Just as he landed, he happened to glance up in time to see one he'd missed. It smashed solidly into his chest, knocking him back and disorienting him.

Naruto smirked as he flashed through five handseals. He'd laid this trap at random spaces throughout the smokescreen. _Okay, Ero-Sannin, let's see how this jutsu holds out._ Kneeling down and slamming his palms into the dirt, he growled out, "Doton: Doryuuheki no Jutsu!"

A small pole of rock erupted from the soil.

Due to Kabuto's posture, it impacted into his stomach with great force. The upward motion of the attack halted, but the momentum it generated remained, throwing the backstabbing Oto-nin backwards.

"Repeat!" Naruto snapped, slamming one of his hands back on the ground.

A second similar rod of rock sprouted. It caught Kabuto in his back with just as much force. It threw him back into the air once again, tumbling head over heels while cradling his hurt abdomen.

"Repeat!"

The third and final rod rose up and smacked powerfully into Kabuto's chin. It snapped his neck back with punishing force, nearly breaking it. _Huh…not bad…_

Naruto halted his attack. With a momentary Kaze Tate, he scattered the remaining smoke to see how badly he'd hit Kabuto. He spotted his enemy lying on the ground, apparently too injured to move. The foxy grin that split his face could've most definitely been considered evil.

"Heh, take that you stupid piece…of…wha?" Naruto's grin fell as Kabuto abruptly climbed to his feet. "What the--How the--_NO FAIR! Why can't you just STAY DOWN?!_"

The only sign of any damage Naruto's attacks may have had was a thoughtful rubbing of the ache in his chin. Snarling in anger, Naruto scarcely noticed his Kage Bunshins disappearing around him. This bastard was proving to be a little _too_ resilient.

Ignoring the boy's boisterous words, Kabuto calmly examined himself. _Hm. Had I been an ordinary genin, that little trick would have defeated me…that even would have sent Sasuke-kun for a loop._ He turned a calm, lucid gaze onto the Jinchuuriki. _Okay, then. Enough playing around_, he thought as he slowly flexed his fingers, letting his chakra flow in preparation for his next attack. "Let me show you one of my _own_ original jutsus."

Bringing his hands up, Kabuto flashed through ten handseals too quickly for Naruto to see clearly.

An eerie flame of blue chakra ignited around Kabuto's right hand while lightning sprung to life in his left. The sounds of crackling and chirping filled the air as Kabuto slowly advanced on him.

What the?

He didn't know what was wrong. But the moment he saw the fire and lightning come alive, Naruto's chest froze up. _Can't…move…_

It took him a conscious effort just to breathe. His limbs were unresponsive, he was trying with all his might to turn and dodge. Shivers of unconditional fear crept down his spine, making his body tremble. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the fire or lightning.

Something was terribly wrong. _WHY CAN'T I MOVE?!?!_

Then, Kabuto lashed out and latched onto him. Right hand of fire grabbing a handful of his hair, left hand of lightning landing squarely over his heart. In the second before anything happened, Kabuto locked gazes with Naruto.

Blood-red with blue irises met bright blue eyes.

Then the pain hit with the force of a tsunami.

Searing heat too hot for his body to produce, much less _handle_, raced through him, burning him from the inside out. It felt as though his blood was on fire. He felt the flames racing through his veins, bursting blood vessels, charring nerves, and overheating his body. Sweat quickly rushed out of the pores of his body…but the body's attempt to cool itself was in vain.

And the pain was only intensified with the lightning pulling at his muscles. He could feel them collapsing in on themselves, contracting violently. The skin began to pull taut over them. Splitting either under the stress or due to an exploding blood vessel, spraying blood across the grass, his clothes, and Kabuto's unmoving body.

His nerves seemed to scream as electricity jolted through his body. His body twitched as the energy ran through his nervous system; it should have been able to block it off due to the immense amount of pain…his brain should have just blocked out the pain out of protective impulse…

But it _wasn't_!

Naruto's mouth fell open as his skin seemed to crackle; burning fire roared through him, searing and charring his body tissue. Electricity combined with the fire to make his hair stand on end, and the smell…it was repulsive. Burning flesh and fried body organs…

_How come I'm not unconscious yet?_ The still barely-functioning part of his brain wondered._ WHY--I STILL--PAIN!!!! STOP IT!! **STOP IT!! STOP!!! STOP IT!!!!!!**_

Dimly he could hear someone screaming out at the top of his voice. He heard someone screaming in total anguish and pain, which got consistently louder each time he felt a muscle tear apart or a section of his skin split open and spray blood like a fountain.

It was only vaguely that his cloudy mind realized that the voice was his own.

* * *

Orochimaru's sneer widened exponentially as Naruto's screams reached them. But he wasn't looking at the boy, nor was he looking at the cause of his suffering. He had his attention on Jiraiya, watching his reaction. 

It was exactly as he predicted.

Jiraiya was confused as to what was happening to Naruto, despite being able to see it quite clearly. It wasn't as though he couldn't grasp what was happening; he most certainly could. But this was the kind of numbing, dumbfounding confusion that hit people who suddenly realized that people they loved were either dead or dying…and that it was happening right in front of them.

The Gama-Sennin's complexion turned from one of confusion to anger. _No doubt feeling some kind of parental love and desire of protection for the young blonde._ Then, expectedly, it shifted to resolved determination as he glanced at Orochimaru with a calculative stare. Probably weighing his chances of success at dashing over to save the Kyuubi brat _and_ if he'd reach the blonde before Orochimaru inevitably intercepted.

"Don't even try it," Orochimaru advised, sneering evilly.

That sneer only widened as Jiraiya flashed him the worst glare he'd seen in over ten years.

* * *

She wasn't consciously aware of when she'd actually started paying attention to the battle that was taking place. But she did clearly remember seeing a giant snake be struck by a dozen spinning missiles and a brief but intense exchange of taijutsu. Now, however, she was pulled completely out of her daze as she heard Naruto's screams of pain. 

Kabuto held him securely by his hair and pressed firmly against the boulder he'd been thrown against. But what really drew her attention was what was happening to Naruto. Blue lightning danced across his skin, which was pulled taut over his muscles as they contracted violently. His skin was a bizarre coloring of blue and red that shifted and changed randomly; chakra and light danced over his body as Kabuto kept the jutsu in effect.

His screams though…

They were the most terrible ones she'd ever heard in her long life. Screams of absolute pain, terror, _panic_. It was a sound that no human throat should have been able to make…but Naruto's was.

It was horrifying to hear.

Yet despite all the pain that he was clearly experiencing, his eyes were locked wide open, staring into the depths of Kabuto's. She couldn't see what had become of the teenager's eyes, but she did notice the unnatural red coloring where the whites of his eyes should've been.

But Naruto's eyes…his _eyes_.

Tsunade didn't know how it happened. She didn't even know how she had gotten up. But when she suddenly found herself beside Kabuto, she didn't hesitate to punch him as hard as she possibly could. But apparently the brat had sensed her approach because his body morphed into a large boulder that was reduced to dust.

The second Kabuto's eyes had been removed from Naruto, as well as his hands, the blonde fainted. Dropping down next to Naruto, she rolled him over in an attempt to examine his injuries. But she wasn't given the chance.

A sudden knee sailed into his line of sight. It was instinct alone that allowed her to move in time to dodge it. Ducking under the kick, she threw a fast punch and knocked the resilient teenager away from her and Naruto.

"I see you finally came to, Tsunade," Kabuto commented, not at all worried about the death glare she was shooting at him.

"What did you do to him?" she snapped, feeling almost maternally protective of the smaller blonde.

"Only a little medical wonder I've created," Kabuto said, pride spilling into his voice. "Danmatsuma no Jutsu is what I call it. It combines the burning pain of fire with the contracting jolts of electricity to give the victim a little taste of Hell."

Tsunade snorted. "Can the colorful dialogue. Tell me the truth!"

Kabuto couldn't help but chuckle as he readjusted his glasses. "It's quite simple, Tsunade…it is nothing more than a very elaborate genjutsu, disguised as a ninjutsu." He pointed toward his eyes, which had lost their color of blue and blood. "My eyes…well, let's just say that I have a talent for freezing my opponents in place just by making eye contact. But that's just part one…" He flexed his fingers. "That entire jutsu is all about tricking the mind."

Tsunade said nothing as she knelt down protectively by Naruto.

"The fire and lightning makes it seem as though his body is enduring the pain of being burned and electrified at the same time…even though he's not," Kabuto couldn't hide the small smile of pride that came across his face. "That fire and lightning is nothing but smoke and mirrors, tricks of the mind."

"His body is not being physically harmed at all…it's all up here." He cocked his thumb towards his head, the smile turning somewhat twisted on his face. "The brain is being tricked to think that the body is being burned and electrified at the same time. Because my chakra is manipulating the signals that his brain receives from his nervous system …can you imagine it?"

Kabuto proceeded to calmly list the various effects of his genjutsu. "His skin is burning. His nerves are roaring with electricity. His internal organs are frying. His muscles are enduring spasms from the electrocution. His entire body is being fried to a crisp in a storm of both fire and lightning…even though it's not! That's the beauty of it!" Kabuto couldn't help but smirk. "His body is physically fine. But his brain believes its being burned and electrocuted at once. Because of that, all he feels is the pain…it is not actually happening, so no shock will ever set in. His brain cannot go into shock…my jutsu will not allow it to."

Tsunade's eyes widened at the sickening sneer coming to Kabuto's lips. "Can you imagine it? Torturous pain to an unimaginable degree…and it never ends. _Never_. Not until the stress finally becomes too much for his mind to handle…and death claims him."

Repulsion and rage were battling for supremacy in Tsunade. As a medic-nin, she'd made it her life and duty to heal and help any and all injuries as she could. While the knowledge of the human body had enabled her to win victories against opponents that rightfully should've beaten her, she had rededicated her life to healing instead of killing after she'd left Konoha. Even though she had become a gambling drunkard who felt very despondent about her past…she still healed those who needed it.

But this…_this_…

For a medic-nin to use this knowledge to create such a terrible jutsu went against everything she believed in. It filled her with rage that this seemingly polite, if extremely smug, teenager would do such a thing. And her rage was only fueled by a strange sense of protectiveness for the small boy behind her.

If she'd had the time to consider the reason for this amplified rage, she probably wouldn't have been surprised to realize what it was. Like she'd told Orochimaru, she wanted to see this boy's dream come true. She wanted to see him don the hat of the Hokage for the first time. More importantly, she wanted the honor of being the one to give it to him.

Like she'd wanted to do with Nawaki, and then Dan.

So it wasn't surprising to hear the next words that came out of Tsunade's mouth. "You…_slime_…"

She raised a fist and split the earth in twain.

* * *

He remembered the pain…but it was gone now. Why? 

He was walking down a long, dark path. He couldn't see where he was going. He couldn't hear anything other than his own footsteps. His breath, while barely audible, echoed like thunder down the corridor.

Where am I? What's going on? What's…huh? Light?

Up ahead, he could faintly see a bead of red light. It was moving closer. Though whether the rapidly growing bead of light was coming to him, or him going to it, or even both, was impossible to determine in the blackness of the corridor.

But as it approached, he could see the bead of red expand. Gradually at first, but rapidly gaining more definition as it took on a humanoid form. Because of the sheer brightness of the red light that was glowing from the figure, it was impossible to determine any distinguishing features. Before his eyes, he watched as the figure finally came to a stop in front of him, lowering itself to the ground. Its face was bowed, as though looking at the floor, with closed eyes.

Suddenly the red light disappeared and darkness returned to the pair. Yet he could still see the figure in front of him, for it was shade darker than the blackness surrounding them. Darker…than the abyss itself. It filled him with a strange fear.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, or reach forward to touch the person, or release the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, or all three at once – this darkness was the epitome of disorientation – it happened. Before he could do anything, the figure opened its eyes. Pupils of the same blinding red light that had birthed it glared sinisterly into his own.

Then he sensed it.

Rage. Hatred. Primal fury and bloodlust. The most overwhelming killing intent he'd ever sensed in his entire life.

All contained in those glowing red eyes.

There was only one creature that he knew of that could generate such power. And he was too mentally numbed by his recent experiences and the strange spectacle he'd just witnessed to really understand what he was seeing. All he knew for sure was that the creature in front him shouldn't have been.

"No," was all he managed to whisper out in fear.

The killing intent multiplied ten-fold upon hearing that single word.

Before he had time to even register what was happening, the being struck.

* * *

It started as nothing more than a trickle. Barely noticeable at all if you weren't actively searching for it. 

But as the seconds stretched and time slowed, the feeling become much more powerful and pronounced. It was increasing at an alarming rate; the larger the feeling grew, the quicker it came.

It took everyone completely by surprise to see what was happening. Chakra so powerful that it was clearly visible to the naked eye was rushing out of his body as he slowly climbed to his feet.

Whether he noticed their shocked or surprised gazes or not was irrelevant. All he was focused upon was getting to his feet. But as he was doing so, he could feel the weakness in his limbs.

It was sickening.

How could he be that _weak?!_

Slowly he could feel new strength entering his body. His own strength increased exponentially from all the chakra that he was channeling through himself. A power unlike anything he'd ever felt before was surging through his veins and inner coils alike. A power that was his. A power that he instinctively knew would never have any rival.

Pushing himself off the ground with his hands and quickly finding balance on his feet, he slowly pulled his body upright. Despite all the power and chakra he had racing through him, his body was still aching from the pains it had just experienced. Yet, he was reveling in the pain. It told him that he was alive. It fed his anger and his power. Anger that had grown over the years. Power that had been sealed into him as a birthright of sorts by a dead Hokage.

Taking several long breaths of air, he almost grinned at the straining muscles in his chest. It was almost as though he were flexing muscles that had not been used for so long that they strained and ached. It was exhilarating.

Finally raising his face to see who it would be that would die first, he spotted his enemy instantly. The boy, barely even a man, was staring at him in shock. As though completely at his wit's end as to how he could still be up and moving. Especially after being hit by that attack.

He felt tremendous glee at the sight of that expression on his enemy's face…but he didn't smile. He knew that he was about to kill his hated enemy…but he didn't smirk. And though it filled him with a joy to know that he was about to do such a deed, he couldn't even twitch his lips in an upward motion. All he felt was an intense rage.

How could he smile or smirk when his lips were pulled into a deadly snarl? The killing intent that was coming off him in waves was basking the landscape in his hatred and fury for this enemy. This enemy had hurt him, and hurt him badly. But not only that…he had reminded him of a past pain. For that grievous crime, he was going to _die_.

Slowly…painfully…all the while knowing he was being toyed with until the end. Such was his power…_his _power… Power that he had held back out of fear. What a fool he had been. What a naïve little _fool._ But he'd show them.

He'd show them _all_.

"Oh dear," his silver-haired enemy said quietly, disturbing the silence that had descended upon them. "This is trouble indeed."

* * *

She had been rushing forward to lend a helping hand to Tsunade, whether it had been for healing Naruto or fighting Kabuto was left to be determined. But as she was about to launch a spray of poison needles at Kabuto, something happened. 

A sudden explosion of chakra and an equally powerful wind roared to life. The strength of the chakra-infused winds was enough to blow her back the way she'd come running like a tumbleweed.

Finding her footing as soon as she reoriented herself, Shizune stuck herself to the ground with her chakra. Yet despite that trick, the strength of the winds pushing against her were strong enough to still force her back several feet. She still remained attached to the ground, but the ground gave away as her feet etched trails in the dirt. The winds were so strong that she couldn't see properly, especially with all the dust that was being kicked up.

After a moment, the winds finally died down to a more bearable level. Lowering her arms from where they had been to shield her eyes, she gazed at the eye of the storm. What she saw in the midst of the raging tornado was an orange-black figure, silhouetted by a flame of chakra, slowly climbing to his feet in the center. Due to the force of the winds and chakra he was expelling, the sweater's zipper was torn open and his headband sent flying through the air.

But what truly surprised and scared her was the fact that she could practically _taste_ the rage. The fury in his chakra was unbelievably powerful. Had it been directed upon herself, she'd probably have let herself be blown away, anything to just get away from the killing intent that was being exuded.

Yes, she was very grateful that his gaze was locked on the gray-haired Oto-nin that stood several paces in front of the boy. Shizune wasn't sure what Kabuto was thinking or feeling, but the fact that he didn't seem be affected by the potency of Naruto's rage was truly mind-boggling. And rather worrisome to a degree.

A glance at Tsunade showed her mentor to be more surprised than scared upon what Naruto was doing. The fact that she hadn't been blown away, despite being the closest to him, was only another testament to her perfect chakra control and skills.

Even though she couldn't hear his voice because of the winds, Kabuto's moving lips drew her attention. _Oh dear, this is trouble indeed_, was what she managed to translate. It seemed that his remarks only added fuel to the raging volcano that had become Naruto's fury.

"_You!_" Naruto growled out, his voice carried by the winds in all directions. "_You think you know pain…you don't know shit…but I'll give you a taste of it!_" The dark look in the boy's red eyes grew, as if desiring to pierce the Oto-nin. "_Now…YOU **DIE!!!**_"

The winds abruptly vanished.

As though he were shot out of a cannon, Naruto rushed Kabuto with a speed Shizune had never seen him use before. He caught the Oto-nin flatfooted; even as far away as Shizune was, she could hear the impact of Naruto's fist into Kabuto's gut.

In a flurry of punches that she could barely see, Kabuto was sent flying backwards, grasping his abdomen. Naruto momentarily vanished from sight, only to reappear in front of Kabuto's body again. A fast kick to his chest further sent the teenager flying.

Dropping to the ground, Naruto bent low and then sprinted forward, body still bowed. No doubt to attain as little wind resistance as possible. Kabuto was just sitting up after he'd come to a halt when he received a vicious headbutt to the chest. Running with his enemy, Naruto reached out and grabbed Kabuto by his hair.

With a chakra-enhanced halt and leap, Naruto launched himself and Kabuto high into the air. Roaring in a blind rage, Naruto channeled all his strength in spinning Kabuto around in the air, still maintaining his hold on his hair. As they were descending back to the earth, Naruto threw Kabuto down powerfully into the ground.

Face-first.

Only to be replaced by a boulder.

As soon as he landed, Naruto abruptly turned on a dime and sprinted for a specific rock-outcropping. A gray-haired figure pulled itself into view. Then, upon seeing Naruto's charge, he began launching a series of Goukakyuu at the blonde. Despite the fireballs being of considerable size, Naruto evaded them with apparent ease…even barreling through them with chakra-covered fists at one point.

Flashing through handseals as he reached the base of the rock formation, he spat out a pile of mud. Landing directly on top of it, he slammed his fists into the muck. The wall of rock that erupted from the ground under him carried him all the way to the top of the formation, and within several paces of Kabuto.

Snatching out a pair of kunai in preparation, Kabuto shifted backwards. Those first several hits had only landed because he was foolish and overconfident. Now he was focused and not about to let this enigma strike him again, especially since every blow felt like a sledgehammer. _Is he using the Kyuubi's youki? No…this is something else…something new…still demonic…but deeper than that…_

He was somewhat surprised to find Naruto slowly walk up to him, instead of sprinting again. The small blonde was taking slow, measured steps towards him. Quickly deciding to let the boy make the first move, he stepped back further and readied for an attack that could come almost instantly.

So he was rather unnerved when Naruto walked right up to him, practically face to face. Alert and ready, Kabuto's patience and nerves were yelling at him to not attack. And that smirk that the brat was suddenly wearing certainly wasn't helping.

In his mind, Naruto was ecstatic about how easily he'd turned this fight around. All because he was using this awesome power that he'd kept locked away inside his body. A power he'd always hidden away in fear. Now he realized that because he'd hidden it away for so long, it had only gotten stronger over time. Examples of its incredible power were all the times he'd ever lost control of his temper; Wave Country's new bridge, the Forest of Death, and most recently Gaara.

He finally realized just how stupid he'd been for thinking it was a bad thing.

"_What was it you were saying?_" Naruto demanded, his smirk waning slightly as he fired an icy glare upon Oto-nin. "_How I 'don't merit the rank of genin'? How I'm useless without the Kyuubi no Kitsune? Are you **underestimating** me…like EVERYONE **ELSE?!?!**_"

Finally losing patience, Kabuto jabbed his kunai towards Naruto, only to have the boy duck under the deadly blade. Jumping up, the blonde quickly drew his arm back to punch. But when his knee came up and smashed into Kabuto's chin, it took him almost completely by surprise. As Kabuto recoiled, Naruto landed lightly, spun around and kicked him powerfully in his side.

Slowly lowering his kicking leg as Kabuto cradled his aching side, Naruto took on an air of mocking seriousness, much like Kabuto's. "_You broadcast your attacks too much, Kabuto-**kun**. You don't even deserve to be a shinobi, much less Orochimaru's 'right hand man.'_" Naruto resisted the urge to spit. "_Hmph. And to think you talked down to me…_"

Somewhere deep inside Kabuto, it struck a nerve to have this small blonde brat throw his own words back into his face. But where he'd spoken the truth to Naruto, the boy was now only trying to make him mad.

And it was working _beautifully_.

With his own shout of anger, Kabuto struck out at him again. Naruto merely lifted his hand and caught the teenager's wrist. Practically as soon as he had him securely in his grasp, Naruto snapped his leg up and hit the traitor in the chin. He let him go as he recoiled from yet another painful blow. With his guard completely gone, Kabuto had no way to protect himself from a following punch to the gut.

Even as he was thrown clean off the rock formation, Kabuto could feel several of his ribs cracking, one or two even broke. Healing chakra instinctively sprung to life in his hands as he cradled his now dangerously wounded abdomen. Thankfully for him, he was able to repair the worst of the damage before he landed on the ground roughly.

Raising his gaze, he stared up small figure that now stood so far above him. In fact, the situation and location for this sudden realization couldn't have been more perfect.

He was staring up at a power he'd grossly underestimated. And now that he'd invoked its wrath, he would be hard pressed to win this battle.

Suddenly, the red-eyed Naruto gazed upward in general direction of the giant snake that Orochimaru and Jiraiya stood near. In the eyes of the pale Hebi-Sannin, he saw bewilderment, confusion, and a slight hint of amusement. In the eyes of the perverted Gama-Sannin, he saw surprise, shock, and disbelief.

_They **still** underestimate me…**everyone **does…but **no more!!**_ Naruto scowled as he clenched his fists. His red eyes narrowed as the blue chakra aura flared, roughly forming the visage of a tailless kitsune youkai

* * *

"I think this would be a good time to panic," Jiraiya muttered, a bitter smirk crossing his face. "Don't you think so, Orochimaru?" 

Glaring slightly at his former teammate, Orochimaru turned his attention back to the fight. He was a little confused and quite intrigued by what was happening. The brat was no doubt no longer in the right frame of mind any more, probably driven half-insane from Kabuto's little genjutsu. He must've gone berserk and was clearly unleashing his rage upon the perpetrator.

Yet the chakra that was streaming out of him wasn't youki. The rage and bloodlust were in great quantities, clearly demonic in nature. But the feel of the chakra, while it had an underlying feeling of youki, it was distinctively human. _Is he using the Kyuubi's youki that has been absorbed into his body without using the actual demon? Is such a thing even possible?_

He watched as the blonde began flashing through various handseals from the top of the rock outcropping. If what he was beginning to believe was true, then he'd better finish the brat very soon. Before he had the chance to grow and become even more powerful.

* * *

Seeing Naruto going through various handseals, Kabuto quickly rushed through his own. He was sick and tired of fighting this brat. No matter how strong he may have become, all the strength in the world would be useless if he couldn't use his arms or legs. 

Blasting another Goukakyuu at Naruto, he waited for the blonde's next move. What happened wasn't what he'd have expected at all. Naruto suddenly crouched down as winds began racing around his body. Pushing himself off, he took a headfirst dive at Kabuto, completely ignoring the fireball.

The winds circling his body picked up enormous speed, forming the Kaze Doriru. Plowing right into the Goukakyuu, he didn't even flinch as the flames instantly attached themselves to his winds. The fires roared as their own power was increased substantially. Naruto wasn't harmed in the least; his winds circled around him, not coming into contact with him, and neither did the flames. Even if they had, his chakra silhouette would've shielded him.

The Goukakyuu suddenly flared violently at the winds reached out into the inferno. Kabuto had only a moment's warning when he spotted a sudden bulge emerging out of the back of the fireball. Then the bulge separated, forming a large flaming missile, heading straight for him.

Leaping as far back as he could, Kabuto cocked an eyebrow as he watched the effects of this flaming wind missile. The moment the missile impacted with the ground, the fire exploded outwards for several meters, burning everything within reach before the winds died and they lost their power.

Naruto was crouched down in the center of the scorched earth, one of his arms was thrust almost up to his shoulder in the dirt. Yanking his arm free, he sprinted at Kabuto again while activating his Kaze Kiwa.

Once again bringing out his Shosen, Kabuto snatched up a kunai and waited. This time, Naruto didn't disappoint him. Leaping high, Naruto brought his Kaze Kiwa down in a vertical slash. Dodging to the side, Kabuto lashed out with a kick. Ducking under it, Naruto brought his jutsu up in an arc, hoping to disembowel Kabuto.

Sidestepping, Kabuto reached out and grabbed Naruto's shoulder. The scalpel cut in deep and fast, severing nerves and slashing the muscles in the shoulder. The deadly Kaze Kiwa faded out to become nothing more than a forceful breeze. But he was paying for that, as Naruto was already reacting.

Despite screaming out in agony, Naruto retaliated instantly. Bringing his fist up and around, he punched Kabuto solidly in the gut. Having anticipated such a forward attack, Kabuto already had his other hand in place to intercept. However, he underestimated the speed of Naruto's fist.

He was hit with more force than he'd ever been struck with before. But thankfully, it had probably lost some of its power before it even reached him. Kabuto had been able to stab the kunai into Naruto's other shoulder. But the arm was already in motion and nothing could stop that juggernaut. As Kabuto was sent skidding backward, once again cradling his badly abused abdomen, Naruto hunched over.

He could still feel his arms. But where one shoulder was numb and stinging like a thousand needles were pricking it, the other was throbbing and flaming. The kunai had gone straight through the muscle and bone, even piercing a major artery. The tip of it protruded from underneath the arm, providing an easy exit for the blood. Hot blood was flowing out freely from the entrance and exit wounds.

Throwing back his head, Naruto let out a scream of pain and total rage. Seeing that, Kabuto smirked. Naruto may now have surpassed him in chakra potential, but his taijutsu skills were still inferior to his own. But during his moment self-reassurance, two things happened almost instantaneously.

The first of which was he sensed a massive amount of chakra being molded. It wasn't like the chakra that Naruto was expelling up to this point. That chakra had been free-flowing, yet held securely around his body. Kabuto rationalized that it offered a small margin of protection, by buffering all chakra-enhanced attacks used against him. No, this chakra was distinctively the same type used in powerful ninjutsus.

The second thing was a series of nearly invisible wires suddenly ensnared his body. They were pulled along by shuriken, and toughened by chakra. Before he had time to even consider breaking loose or using Kawarimi, he was captured. And due to the chakra in the wires, he couldn't use Kawarimi because that foreign chakra was interfering with his own.

Confused, he glanced around, trying to find the source of these wires. What he found was a pair of Kage Bunshins flanking his sides, holding onto those wires with all their might.

Then he spotted something with Naruto, whose scream had transformed into a howl. Trails of chakra were circling wildly around his body, but mostly his face. He spotted a small sphere beginning to form before he looked away, looking for anyway to escape this predicament.

Slowly, very slowly, Naruto's howl quieted down. He was focusing all his spare chakra into that jutsu, including that of his silhouette. It was almost ready.

Struggling with all his might, Kabuto tried to throw his weight around and yank one of the clones off their feet. But the Kage Bunshins were as adamant about his continued capture as he was about escaping.

Seeing Naruto nearly finished with whatever he was doing, Kabuto fired up his Shosen again. He tried to move his hands just enough to catch the wires. There! But nothing happened. It was only then that he realized that the chakra in the wires was doing more than increasing their strength.

Naruto suddenly hunched forward, his arms hanging limply at his sides. He had his mouth closed, but his cheeks were bulging as though he was trying to hold his breath. Glancing up at his enemy, Naruto pulled his lips back into a snarl, revealing a bright glowing light inside his mouth.

Dashing forward the short distance between them, he opened his mouth fully. The glowing light emerged out, revealing itself to be a sphere of rapidly spinning winds and chakra. Kabuto was of two minds on this mysterious jutsu that was racing towards him.

One of stupefied fear, the other instinctively channeling all his own chakra into his torso in preparation.

Naruto grinned evilly as the he roared. "_RASENGAN!!!_"

Naruto rammed the lethal jutsu into Kabuto's chest.

The Kage Bunshins released their hold on the wires as Kabuto was thrown back violently by the signature funnel winds of the Rasengan. The winds were tearing at his body, the chakra slashing through his chest. But while the chakra was mostly shielded against thanks to his quick defenses, the winds also had one final blow for him. He was cast into a protruding boulder some hundred yards away, leaving a noticeable imprint in the rock.

For a moment, no one said anything or even moved.

Then, almost as one, Kabuto and Naruto fell onto ground. Kabuto was overcome by the pain and effects of the jutsu. Naruto had finally used too much chakra and lost too much blood, he collapsed in a dead faint.

* * *

Despite everything that had just happened, when she saw Naruto collapse she rushed to his side. Kneeling next to him, she quickly withdrew the kunai and set about healing the grievous wound. It was as she mending the artery that she sensed a surprising assistance. 

A tiny spike of youki channeled through Naruto's unconscious body. It went straight to his wounded shoulder, absorbing the healing qualities of the chakra Tsunade was pumping into the boy. Then, with ungodly speed, the artery healed. The bone mended back together, the muscles and skin quickly grew back into place.

She let out a breath of relief that she'd been holding. _At least the demon's good for something._ Now that bad wound had been dealt with, what about the others?

As she continued her examination, she couldn't help but notice that the boy still had a slight snarl on his face. Even though he was unconscious.

Tsunade couldn't help but feel great pity for the wounded child. _Such anger…what is this kid…?_

* * *

"Heh," Jiraiya said, smiling broadly. "Looks like we have a draw." 

_So it would seem,_ Orochimaru silently agreed. But verbally, he said, "But your boy isn't going to be doing so well. All that chakra was extremely wasteful, and dangerous." He turned a smirk upon the Gama-Sannin. "I see you teach that attitude to all your apprentices."

"If it works, why change it?" Jiraiya countered, his smile turning into a smirk.

Orochimaru didn't bother answering. He was too busy putting the pieces together. Now he understood why the blonde was so annoyingly familiar. _That grin…that attitude of defiance…his very face…and now that jutsu specifically. There is no doubt about it at all_.

Now he knew why the brat was so strong at a young age. And if he was allowed to continue as he was, his strength could truly become something worthy of legends. All the more reason to kill him…_NOW!!_

Abruptly turning and sprinting away, Orochimaru used his natural speed to outstrip the surprised Jiraiya considerably. Opening his gaping maw, a snakehead appeared. The snake in turn opened its mouth, with a deadly poisoned blade – the legendary Kusanagi – jutting forward. He'd make sure that that blonde died here, today, one way or another.

Of course he was forgetting one very important factor in that plan.

Tsunade.

* * *

**(Author's Note) **Wow. Even though I actually enjoyed writing this chapter, it was ridiculous how many times I had to go back to rewrite parts of it. I know I'm treading on somewhat thin ice here. I practically just made Naruto a god by all signs given. Yet, who can honestly say they didn't enjoy seeing Kabuto out-maneuvered? 

You guys had better seriously thank Ultra Sonic 007. He's been an _ENORMOUS _help on this chapter; fixing quite a few mistakes I'd made, accepting or rejecting various ideas of mine, helping me explain the effects of Kabuto's jutsu, and just being a beta-reader in general. He has definitely gone above and beyond the call of duty here. So if I only ask that you leave a review for him expressing some gratitude.

For those interested, my good friend Ookami Mononoke has finally completed some new pictures. I **_HIGHLY_** suggest you each go and take a look for they are _incredibly_ well-drawn. She truly deserves high praise for such work. For links to these pictures, visit my profile page.

So you all are aware, things are getting extremely busy here at Eustis for me. I have a strong feeling that the next chapter may not be anywhere near as long or as quickly updated as this one.

JUTSUS USED IN CHAPTER  
**Danmatsuma**--_Death Agony_//A genjutsu that is used to fool the mind into experiencing horrible pain. The flames and lightning that surround Kabuto's hands are nothing more than a fancy light show. It's only after he has gotten a hold the target that he can put the genjutsu into effect. By manipulating the flow of chakra and various nerve signals in the brain of his enemy, he can willingly determine what kind of pain they feel, usually burning and electrocution. How he is able to capture his target is to send a very brief but powerful killer intent, capable of instinctively freezing the body, even against the person's desires to evade him. Requires near-perfect chakra control to utilize. A-Rank Genjutsu. (Kabuto) (Created by Tellemicus, perfected by Ultra Sonic 007)

**Doton: Doryuuheki**--_Earth Release: Mudslide Barrier_ (Naruto)

**Doton: Yomi Numa**--_Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld _(Jiraiya)

**Fuuton: Kaze Misairu Rendan**--_Wind Release:_ _Wind Missile Barrage_//An advanced version of the Kaze Doriru. After either being thrown or jumping into air, Naruto creates a series of clones. The clones activate the Kaze Doriru, while Naruto uses his Kaze Tate. With gravity and the Kaze Tate's powerful winds boosting their descent, the Kaze Misairu Rendan is a much more dangerous version of the standard Kaze Doriru due to the less likely chance of the opponent being able to dodge in time. Middle B-Rank Ninjutsu. (Inspired by Ultra Sonic 007)

**Hari Jizo**--_Needle Guardian _(Jiraiya)

**Katon: Okibi Doriru**--_Fire Release: Blazing Fire Drill_//Merely a standard Kaze Doriru that has been in contact with a Katon jutsu. While the winds and flames don't harm the user, it is exceptionally hard to control if the user is fighting in the midst of allies. Since the moment the winds die down, the fire goes rampant, burning and potentially wounding all within range.

**Shosen**--_Mystical Palm_, also known as the Chakra Scalpels (Kabuto)

Next chapter: _Jiraiya informs her of the reasons that he was sent to find her specifically, and not just because she was a descendant of the Shodai Hokage. Once the group returns to Konohagakure, Tsunade faces the problems that Naruto as unintentionally created as: _The Godaime Hokage.


	29. The Godaime Hokage

**(Author's Note)** This chapter is dedicated to **NoneAvailable**. Thanks for being there when I needed the help, it kept me motivated enough to finish this chapter.

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 29--The Godaime Hokage

Why am I doing this?

Tsunade hadn't even stopped to consider the consequences of her actions. She had acted without hesitation, completely driven by impulse. That had been the reason that she had found herself with a slashed palm, her world vanishing in a wave of fear and old memories. Memories of lost love and dead family.

Orochimaru had come racing towards her and the unconscious Naruto, the blade of Kusanagi protruding from his maw. The killer intent that had his slitted, yellow eyes glowing was aimed solely on the small blonde in front of her. He was going to kill him…oh yes he was. His blood would have stained the fields…it would have stained her…it would have mocked her, as though crying out: why did you let him die?

Good question.

She had moved at a speed that would've made most Jounin jealous, hopping over Naruto without even thinking. Knocking the Kusanagi aside, she had sent a ferocious jab into Orochimaru's speeding face. The unexpected blow had sent the Hebi-Sannin careening back the way he came. The howl of pain reminded her of bloody screams.

That had caused her to slowly raise her sliced palm, her eyes gazing down at the blood that was seeping out of the wound. It stung very badly, but she could scarcely feel it. No, she just continued to stare at it in shock of what she _wasn't _feeling.

Nothing.

Huh. This is new.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had realized that she'd not even batted an eye at all the blood that was pouring out of Naruto as she had healed him. She'd been too focused on mending his wounds while his body alight with green chakra.

But now, as she stared at her open palm, the true meaning behind the aforementioned events struck her like a mallet. Had she somehow overcome her hemophobia?

…hmm…

Mind drifting back to the present and away from the past, Tsunade turned her attention to her enemy.

Climbing awkwardly to his feet, Orochimaru drew the Kusanagi back inside his throat. The look on his face was that of resignation, confusion…and, ultimately, irritation. "Why, oh why did you get in my way? I wasn't trying to kill you, Tsunade."

"Maybe not," Tsunade said as she placed her hand over her injury, healing it easily. "But you were trying to kill a shinobi of Konoha."

Looking disdainfully down at her, the Hebi-Sannin growled, "If the brat survives, he'll cause a great deal of trouble for me later on…Don't get in my way."

With that said, the Kusanagi once again emerged from his mouth. Dashing forward, he leapt over Tsunade, sword at the ready. But instead he was struck in the gut by a powerful kick. The blow sent him even farther back than the punch had.

"Heh," a familiar voice said behind him as he sat up. "Normally it's me who's getting knocked about. Better be careful, Orochimaru." The Hebi-Sannin glanced back at the smirking Gama-Sennin. "I think you're getting sloppy."

Ignoring Jiraiya's taunts, Orochimaru stood back up and fixed his piercing gaze on Tsunade. A lesser being would've trembled from unconditional fear, so frightful were his eyes. But not Tsunade. The woman merely stood up protectively in front of Naruto, returning the glare with one of her own. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. _How annoying_.

"Why are you so insistent on protecting that little brat?" he demanded, unobtrusively molding a necessary amount of his chakra into his legs.

It would be too troublesome to battle both of his teammates with his current handicap. He needed to stall them long enough so that he could collect Kabuto and retreat. How unfortunate; without Tsunade healing his arms, he would have to replace his body with another. He needed to get Sasuke soon…or he'd hate to have to wait another three years.

"Because one day," Tsunade said, as she began walking forward and flashing through a series of handseals. "He will become Konohagakure's greatest Hokage ever." The Shosen enveloped her hands as she began to walk forward. "But before that happens, I think that today will be the last day that there ever were _three _legendary shinobi of Konoha." She came to a halt in front of him, glaring at him the whole time. "You die here."

The snake-eyed nuke-nin just stared at her as he sensed Jiraiya take up a position not too far behind him. His yellows eyes briefly glanced at the prone body of Kabuto, over three dozen yards away. Then, slowly but surely, his face split into his signature serpentine sneer. "Not today."

With a lightning-fast flick of his tongue, he tripped her. Within milliseconds, he sprinted around her, heading towards Kabuto's unconscious form. Behind him, he could sense Jiraiya launching several large Goukakyuu at him. Rather than dodge, he increased his speed with chakra If he did dodge, the fireballs would roast Kabuto instead of him. Tongue lashing out again, he scooped up the teenager and slung him over his back. Ducking behind the boulder Kabuto had been slammed into, he slowly sunk into the ground as the fireballs exploded violently around them.

_If only I could use my arms._ Had he been able to use his arms, Orochimaru had no doubt that he'd have been able to emerge victor of a three-way battle. But because he was paralyzed, he wouldn't be able to defend himself properly. Kabuto's unconscious girth wasn't helping either. Fighting with his tongue and legs wouldn't win any battles. It was only logical that he retreat.

Besides, Kabuto probably was in critical condition thanks to that Jinchuuriki gaki. _To think that Kabuto would be reduced to this state…we'll have to continue this later…you damn boy. I'll kill you later._

It was with that thought in mind that Orochimaru full sank beneath the ground, Kabuto in tow.

Digging without arms was going to be troublesome as well.

* * *

Racing around the boulder that Orochimaru had hid behind, Jiraiya growled in annoyance to find nothing. Rapidly scanning the landscape for a familiar body, he still saw nothing. However, in the distance, he did faintly pick up a trace of chakra underground. _Hmph, the bastard fled…How the heck is he digging?_

Turning and walking carefully back to Tsunade, he realized something he hadn't earlier. With his adrenaline rush fading, Jiraiya became grudgingly aware of the stinging muscles in his left leg. _Must've pulled them when I chased the creep. Damn that smarts!_ "How is he?" he asked as he stood behind Tsunade, who was once again examining Naruto.

"Unconscious from chakra depletion," Tsunade said quietly. Glancing back at him, she asked, "What was it he just did? I know he didn't use the Kyuubi's youki."

Nodding his head in thoughtfulness, he began thinking very hard on what he had just witnessed. To be honest, he was a tad bewildered; Naruto had pulled out a massive amount of chakra, enough to qualify him as a lesser youkai. Yet, Jiraiya knew for a fact that Naruto had nowhere near that level chakra of potential. The only possibility was that he had drawn on the Kyuubi's power…but he clearly hadn't. _Hmm…what did he do? Damn it you fool, you always overcomplicate things._ Although…perhaps…

"I think he…opened Keimon and…Kyumon of the Celestial Gates…subconsciously," he stated quietly, his voice laced with uncertainty.

"What?!" Tsunade roared, turning to look him fully in the face. "But he couldn't have…" Her face suddenly contorted into an expression of anger. "You didn't teach him how to open them, _did you?!_"

"Not even I'm _that _stupid, Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya snapped, his pride prickled at her accusing voice. The Celestial Gates would've explained it…but somehow, Jiraiya wasn't so sure. Something about that chakra had seemed…off. _But what? What could have…wait…WAIT._ Jiraiya's eyes suddenly widened. _Could it be?_ "Actually…I think he may have used…_it_."

"It?" Tsunade asked as she turned back to Naruto and carefully picked him up. "It…as in--?" Then realization hit her. She gazed intensely at the boy, studying him intently as though seeing him for the first time. "No, you don't mean the Te--?"

"What else could it be?" Jiraiya interrupted, his face tightening. This would change quite a few things, if it were true. "It's _possible_ that he used it. Though it...would explain why that silhouette looked like a kitsune…" Jiraiya grimaced at what this could entail. "Because he utilized so much chakra, the youki already in his system came out as well." _But…then again…what if that's not the case?_

The Ero-Sannin crossed his arms, expressing a mixture of thoughtfulness and irritation as he started muttering, more so to himself than Tsunade. There was also yet another possibility. "Then again, I suppose it's possible that since the Yondaime's seal has been transferring the Kyuubi's youki over to him during all these years, his body _could've_ separated it, forming a secondary chakra reserve in his body. And, because he was so angry and in such pain, he was somehow able to access this reserve…"

Jiraiya suddenly scowled. Although he had perverted tendencies, he was a rather intelligent individual. After all, he was one of the Sannin! And yet…this boy was just too damned irritatingly frustrating! He was a conundrum! A living Rubik's cube! He was a locked box, and the key was right inside!

"_Damn_…" The worst part was that Naruto was his student. Naruto had just done something extraordinary in the battle with Kabuto…something potentially dangerous. Something Jiraiya had no clue about. "I don't know _how_ he did it!" Confusion over such matters was foreign to him. He didn't like it at all.

"What are you mumbling about?" Tsunade snapped. "There's no way a human body could do that!" Turning back to Naruto, she asked, "Did you know he could use it?"

She was more inclined to believe he could use something he probably didn't even know he had, than to believe his body could create multiple chakra reserves. That was simply impossible...or, at the very _least_, inhuman.

Multiple chakra reserves? If that was indeed the case…it implied something very troubling. No way it could be true.

"Not until just now," he answered putting his musings aside momentarily. Glancing around for Shizune, he continued, "Should we tell him?"

After a moment's hesitation, Tsunade shook her head. "No, not until he's older. Besides…he'd get an ego over it."

"You mean a bigger one, right?" Jiraiya asked, smirking knowingly.

"Yes, definitely," Tsunade said, a small smile pulling at her lips.

* * *

"Okay, one more time!" 

She watched with a small smile as Kiba and Akamaru trained. They had been practicing this silly little move that Kiba called the 'Dainamikku Makingu.' So far it seemed that they had finally gotten the hang of it.

Hinata and Shino were walking quietly down the path back towards Konoha. Although Shino and she were content with the amount of training they had done for the day, Kiba wasn't. Kiba insisted that he needed to train harder. Why he suddenly felt this irresistible drive, he wouldn't say.

Secretly, Hinata believed that Kiba was still slightly sour about losing to Naruto. He wanted a rematch, so that he could test his strength. With the numerous new jutsus that the Inuzuka and his canine partner had learned, as well as the ones they hadn't used in the match, they were somewhat confident in their chances for victory.

But where Hinata was willing to support her friends and teammates through thick and thin, she tried to keep herself out of affairs like this one. Kiba, who knew of her fairly close friendship with the blonde, kept pestering her for any information she had on the blonde. On one hand, she wanted to help her teammate in his quest for self-improvement. On the other hand, she was well aware that Naruto wouldn't take revealing secrets about himself and his techniques too well.

So, after numerous tries, Kiba had finally given up.

"I hope Uzumaki returns quickly," Shino muttered, sounding almost annoyed in that ever-neutral voice of his.

"Ano…" Hinata said, glancing over at him with a faint blush coming up. "Why, Shino-san?"

"So he can beat Kiba-san again," Shino said indifferently. "Then he'll realize just how pointless all this extra training is."

"I heard that!" Kiba hollered over from where he was. Landing lightly, he faced Shino with a glare that could've been scary had he not had a puppy sitting on his head. "And for your information, he's the one who's going to lose when we fight!"

Turning to face Kiba, Shino simply said, "You have gained considerable new speed and strength. This I acknowledge. But you simply do not have the endurance, stamina, or tactics that Uzumaki possesses…He will beat you easily because he does not overestimate his abilities."

"Oh, and I do?" Kiba growled, his temper spiking.

"Yes."

"Alright, that's it!" Kiba hollered. "Let's go, bugboy! You and me, right here, right now!"

"I have no interest in fighting you to boost your ego or demonstrate what you lack in skills," Shino said quietly as he turned and walked away, leaving a simmering Kiba.

"I'll get that guy one of these days," he muttered darkly to himself. Though whether he was talking about Naruto or Shino was debatable.

Kiba was so distracted that he failed to notice Hinata excuse herself. Turning back, Kiba let Akamaru jump off of his head before preparing for another try at perfecting the Dainamikku Makingu. If Akamaru could finally get this jutsu down, then it would give way to their ultimate technique.

Although Kiba was always exhibiting an aura of deadly seriousness with his new desire to train, he often found himself having the time of his life. It was always so much fun for him and Akamaru to train and fight, whether it be an enemy, a fellow shinobi, or even each other.

Now that he found an opponent that he knew enjoyed fighting and training as much as himself, he felt this powerful need to increase his own skills even more. And not just to get revenge for being defeated, though that was still a pretty good excuse to hide behind.

_Hurry up and come back, you idiot,_ thought Kiba as he flexed his claws._ So I can kick your ass!_

* * *

He stood on a bridge, consumed by an unnatural mist that seemed to carry an unnatural chill. But he didn't even notice the coolness. All he felt was a boiling, festering, all-consuming fire inside his body, fueled by his rage. 

Ahead of him, he could see the slowly, weakly rising figure of his enemy. That last punch to the face apparently hadn't been enough to kill the bastard. But that was just fine for him, since it now meant he'd have another chance to vent his anger.

He wanted to beat the punk until he was nothing more than a bloodied smear on the bridge stones. He wanted to pummel the boy until he was black and blue. Strangle him, close off his air pipe and watch as he struggled futilely to escape or fight back. He wanted to feel the boy's heart beat its last beat. He wanted to lash out until he lost all feeling in his arms.

As he was sprinting to finish the boy off, he spotted the boy's mask begin falling to pieces. Somewhere in the back of his cloudy mind, he recognized the face before him. It belonged to someone who used…ice? But his wrath was too great; he merely ignored the slightly unsettling feeling that was yearning to make him halt his attack

Because of this sensation, it was a bittersweet experience for him when he finally reached his enemy's side. He threw one last punch straight to the boy's chest. He could feel the ribs shatter as his fist impacted into them, unable to withstand his tremendous strength.

Then, as though he'd been drowsed in cold water, his fury and rage vanished; temporarily sated. What it left behind would eventually degenerate into an all-consuming feeling of guilt.

Scenes changed. Reality transformed. He saw the faces of those he knew. Oh, how he wanted to kill them all. He saw places that he had been to. Oh, how he wanted to burn them to the ground! They would all pay!

He found himself on a badly charred and burnt battlefield. It was with great pride that he raced across the devastation, knowing that he was the reason it burned and smoldered. But that pride was microscopic in comparison to the desire of revenge that was coursing through him. He could remember everything.

The pain that he had been subjected to was the worst since the time he'd been beaten by a mob when he was little more four years old. Back then, he'd wanted to attend the annual celebration of the Kyuubi no Kitsune's death and memorial of the Yondaime Hokage. He'd snuck out and was quickly set upon by a group of drunken villagers. Oh, how it had hurt…but now he relished in that pain. It made his hate even stronger.

He sneered at the sight of a boy clad with sand. Oh, he'd pay this bastard back with interest. He had quickly dashed in and beaten the defenseless brat like a rag doll. The best part of that beating were that the boy couldn't seem to move fast enough to block him. 'Absolute defense'? It was useless! That red-haired brat's power was _nothing _compared to his.

After knocking the brat through a tract of woodland and across the very same fire-blasted crater he was sprinting across, he decided to finally get serious. He'd start with the brat's fingers, break them one at a time, and then break them _off_. Then he would proceed on up his arms and down to his legs. Once done there, he'd break open his ribs and remove the bastard's heart while it was still beating!

But, as he was sprinting up to the boy, he felt his gentler side realize just what his intentions were. Acts of cruelty that repulsed him. He wasn't a murderer! He didn't want to kill needlessly, because then he'd only prove that the villagers had been correct for all these years. He had to stop…he…_had to_…

A snort escaped him. Foolish thoughts. He was a shinobi! That brat ahead of him was an ally turned enemy, and a powerful one at that. He was only doing his duty as a shinobi and protector of the village by killing the bastard. And besides, why should he care what those idiotic villagers believed?

Nonetheless, his good side was quickly growing in strength. His rage was dampened, its hold on him losing its strength. But not without a last ditch effort to finish what it started. Yet before it could truly take effect, it was over.

"Naruto-kun?" a familiar, hesitant voice called from somewhere nearby. "W-what i-i-is going on?"

Turning around and away from his red-haired enemy who'd slipped into unconsciousness, he found himself staring into wide, fearful pale eyes. He became appalled when he realized what the girl was afraid of.

Him.

"It's okay, Hinata-chan," he said, trying to sound soothing. "It's over. You're safe now."

But she was anything but soothed. If anything, her expression grew even more fearful. Her gaze drifted down to his hands, and the redhead behind him. The skin of her face turned an extremely unnatural shade of white, even for a Hyuuga.

Bringing his hand up to scratch his head in confusion to her actions, a red liquid drew his attention to it. His hands were covered in blood.

Haku's blood. Gaara's blood. _His _blood.

Then the smell hit him. The scent of death, blood, and decay assaulted his nose. Looking behind him, he realized that he was no longer standing on the battlefield with Gaara. It had changed.

He found himself standing in a white void. With Hinata to his back now, he stared in horror at what his wrath and its power had wrought. Haku's corpse lay in front of him. The skin was a sickly color, obviously still decomposing. The skin over his chest was rotting, and he could see the ribs that _he'd_ broken protruding from the flesh.

What was left of Gaara lay next to Haku. It was only then that he realized that he'd not been able to stop himself from tearing Gaara apart. His corpse, though considerably fresher, was many times more revolting to see.

Shakily raising his blood-soaked hands up towards his face, he stared at the liquid in horrid fascination. He hadn't stopped in time…he'd killed Gaara, even more brutally than Haku. Trembling, he tried to wipe the blood off. But no matter how are hard or how many times he tried, it remained.

A terrified gasp drew his attention. Hinata was still there, but she was staring off to the side. Looking over, Naruto saw Iruka-sensei being attacked by…himself. It was as though he were watching himself from the third-person. Yet…it wasn't him.

The person that looked like him rushed Iruka-sensei while he had his back turned. Then, with not even a pause, he stabbed the scarred man, the one he considered his older brother or father, in the back with a Kaze Kiwa. The arm punched itself all the way through Iruka's torso, the winds spraying blood and flesh in all directions. The Kaze Kiwa took on a sickening color of red, becoming a tornado of blood.

Shouting out in horror, Naruto sprinted forward to save Iruka. But no matter how hard he tried, he could never get any closer. He was forced to watch, tears falling freely, as Iruka turned around slowly to face the one who'd mortally wounded him. An expression of shocked disbelief crossed his old sensei's face before death claimed him as well.

Oh Kami-sama, that look had been so _painful_ to see. The agony and look of betrayal! As if saying 'Why, Naruto?' with only his eyes.

Withdrawing his stabbing arm with a contemptuous huff, the being that looked like him glanced around for its next victim.

Then it found Hinata.

"Naruto," Hinata whispered, fear thick in her voice. Her eyes were wide as the creature began to approach her with a bloodthirsty sneer on its face. "Naruto-kun, stop it!"

"I can't!" he screamed, even though she seemed to be talking to the creature and not him. He stilled tried to get between her and this monster. But he had no more success than he had had with Iruka. "I…_can't!_"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata squeaked louder as the creature now stood in front of her, the bloodied Kaze Kiwa spinning as wildly as ever. "Please, stop."

"**_I won't_**," the creature said, its voice a sickening combination of Naruto's and Kyuubi no Kitsune's.

"Naruto," Hinata said sadly, her face betraying her fear. Yet, her voice sounded different. "Hey, Naruto, wake up!"

An explosion of red chakra knocked Naruto flying. Then everything blackened.

* * *

Naruto's eyes snapped open as he jumped up and reached for a kunai. But his kunai pouch wasn't there. But he didn't care, he was on the look-out for that…mon…ster…huh? _Wha?_

What he saw instead was a surprised Tsunade and Shizune recoiling away from him, an amused Jiraiya who was leaning luxuriously against the wall, and the motel room that Jiraiya had rented for their time in Tanzaku-Gai. Naruto found himself attached to the wall, crouching on it over his bed, grasping for something that wasn't there.

For a moment, no one said anything. Naruto blinked as he looked around; there were no corpses in the room. No demented clones of himself trying to kill his precious people.

"Good morning to you, too," Jiraiya said, his smirk not wavering as Naruto shot him a stupefied look. "I guess you're feeling better."

"W-what happened?" Naruto asked, dropping back down onto the large bed.

He was trying to wrap his mind around what he remembered, what was real, and what was a nightmare. Well, what he remembered for sure was running after Tsunade, fighting Kabuto, a lot of pain, overwhelming rage, and cloudy vision. Then everything shifted to his memories of the bridge in Wave Country, of Suna and Oto's invasion, and…the death of his friends. _What was that all about…? I'd NEVER do that._

"After you beat that brat of Orochimaru's," Tsunade said, her expression changing from worried and surprised to unreadable. "You fell unconscious."

"What about--?"

"We fought," Jiraiya interrupted. "And we won, but the bastards still escaped. Though I doubt either of them will be showing up anytime soon."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. If he'd not been so mentally numb from both his nightmare and from whatever happened to him yesterday, he might have pressed Jiraiya for details on the fight.

Noticing the expression of confusion on his face, Shizune said, "You don't remember?"

Looking dumbly over at medic-nin apprentice, he said, "Remember what?"

"You went berserk," Tsunade said as she approached. Going through various handseals, she pressed her gently glowing hands upon first his chest. Nodding to herself, she continued both her examination of him as well as her conversation. "…then you almost killed that 'Kabuto' kid. Orochimaru had to drag him away when he ran off."

Gazing critically at him, she said, "You really don't remember anything that you did to him?"

When Naruto shook his head, Jiraiya chuckled lightly. "That could be good thing. Now we won't have to listen to him boast the whole way home."

"I don't boast!" Naruto snapped, glaring at the super pervert. "I just point out the best parts of my fights! Like when I nailed Kabuto in the stomach with the Doryuuheki!"

"Right," Jiraiya said, rolling his eyes. "Nice trick, by the way. Too bad they weren't spikes though."

"Spikes?" after a second's consideration, a large foxy grin blossomed on Naruto's face. "Great idea, Ero-Sannin!"

"What's this 'we' crap you're talking about?" Tsunade demanded, hiding her amusement. "I don't believe you're referring to me and Shizune, are you?"

At Jiraiya's stupefied gaze, she clarified. "I believe that there is still a bet to be won. Is there not?" She directed the second statement at the small blonde under her, a small hint of a smile pulling at her lips.

"Of course!" Naruto cheered. "I completely forgot about that!" He turned a mischievous grin onto Tsunade. "You really suck at gambling, you know, Obaasan?"

Her answer was a slap to the cheek.

Fortunately, it was nowhere near the strength of the first one.

Sitting back up, Naruto pushed Tsunade away from the bedside as he tried to stand up. "Come on! Let's go! I wanna show you it right now!"

"Maybe you should get dressed first," Jiraiya said, his grin widening as impure, perverted thoughts began rushing through his head. This kid was a practical gold mine! More ideas, more inspiration!

Glancing down, Naruto realized he'd been in boxers the entire time.

It took only a moment for this to sink in.

When it did, he let out an embarrassed cry. With a reddening face, he quickly submerged himself under the bed sheets while screaming, "Out! Please get out! _OUT!!_"

* * *

He collapsed painfully onto the ground, panting. Sweat covered every square inch of his body, dirt and mud caked his hands and joints like a second skin, and his clothing was hanging limply from the river water and his own sweat. Dark hair draped over his eyes, dripping on his headband. 

A small grin of satisfaction reached across his face. _So that's my limit_.

Normally he'd be appalled to find that he even had a limit, but this time he didn't care. Sasuke had trained long and hard for the past two weeks, doing everything within his power to increase his strength and durability. Now he felt it was finally time to take a short break and relax.

Rolling over onto his back on the shore of the river, Sasuke gazed up at the sky. A strange sense of calmness descended upon him as he stared at the gentle blue above, a tranquil sea that only the clouds could swim in.

It was a calmness that he'd not felt for a long time.

All the anger, jealousy, and self-condemning thoughts that had been going through his head ever since the invasion slowly drifted away. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he now understood why Shikamaru was always gazing at the clouds. It was very relaxing.

A gentle breeze caressed him, bringing with it the smell of cherry blossoms. He took a long, deep breath, secretly enjoying the smell. He was so at ease that the fact it was late summer and that he shouldn't be _smelling_ cherry blossoms didn't even cross his mind. No, this was a small measure of peace he'd not felt in years.

A peace that was bound to be disrupted.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura spoke up from somewhere nearby.

Quietly tightening his features as he sat up, he glanced over towards her voice. She stood several paces behind him, something that completely surprised him. How had he not been able to sense her approach? Was he really that lost in thought?

"What do you want, Sakura?" he asked, trying to keep his self-annoyance out of his tone. After all he had no quarrels with her, not anymore at least. "I'm trying to train."

"Gomennasai," she said, feeling somewhat uncharacteristically hesitant. "I was just wondering if you would like some help?"

Turning to fully look her in the face, Sasuke watched as various emotions played across her face. Hope, anxiety, fear, determination, and hesitant affection being the most predominate among them. She really wanted to help him.

"I don't need help," he said simply, keeping his voice empty.

Truthfully, the exercises he was working on didn't require the aid of a second person. That suited him well enough, given his growing ambition for power. He didn't want anyone interfering and slowing him down. But while he may have been content to leave well-enough alone, he couldn't help but start feeling almost lonely.

After being teammates with Sakura and Naruto for nearly six months, he had slowly found himself growing accustomed to their near-constant presences in his life. Now that Naruto was out of town and Sakura was spending more time on her own training, he was once again finding himself alone.

He actually almost wanted to ask her to at least stay and watch. But then she'd discover what he was doing; using the curse seal, thoroughly testing its effects on his body. If she learned that, he knew that she'd tell Kakashi on the first chance she got.

But Kakashi was rarely with them anymore these past two weeks. He'd spent the entire first week recovering from injuries and now he was always being sent out on missions to make up for the shinobi that had died in the invasion. He would show up on occasion to accompany them to the Hokage Tower for a D-Rank mission assignment, only to be assigned to another mission of his own. All of those missions were seriously cutting into time the Jounin should've used to further train Sasuke!

"Gomennasai, Sasuke-kun," Sakura muttered, staring down at the ground, looking as rejected as she felt. After a moment, she brightened up and asked, "Would you at least like to get some lunch with me?"

Before he could answer, a loud complaint from his empty stomach made it abundantly clear that it would _love_ that offer. Neither of them said a word after hearing the sound, Sakura just smiled sweetly while Sasuke looked mildly ashamed. He'd skipped breakfast in his haste to train that morning.

"Lunch sounds good, Sakura," he said quietly as he stood up. Seeing the overly happy, almost dumbfounded expression on her face, he quickly amended his statement. "But this isn't a date."

Sakura's smile fell slightly, but her eyes brightened in merriment at his words. _Same old Sasuke-kun._

* * *

Naruto guided them back to the area that he had been training at for the past week. He was practically bouncing from one rock ledge to the other, so great was his excitement. He would not stop boasting about how he'd made his jutsu in less than a few days thanks to some unlikely inspiration. 

Tsunade sighed. This boy could be described in many ways…but at the moment, he was a pleasant annoyance. And boy, did it bring back memories of Nawaki.

"Are we far enough away or are you just trying to stall?" Tsunade snapped, speaking with mock anger. However, her smile betrayed her amusement yet again.

"Stall?" Naruto gasped out, as though she'd just insulted his pride. Which she probably had. "No way! But…I guess we're far enough away."

"Why do we have to be so far from town?" Jiraiya asked, glancing back into the distance.

"Because part of the jutsu is rather loud," Naruto said sparingly.

"Loud?" Shizune questioned as memories of how she'd found the boy the other night came back to her. "Try _deafening_!"

"Precisely my point!" Naruto said, grinning broadly. Running just a little further ahead, he abruptly turned around and faced them. Rather than begin the handseals, he looked at them inquiringly. "Which one do you want first? The flash-bang or mountain head?"

"What?" Jiraiya piqued up. "You made two? But I thought you said you only had time to finish one!"

"I did," the boy said dismissively. "But doesn't mean it was the whole truth!" Staring critically at each of them for a moment, Naruto nodded to himself. _Yeah, I'll save the loud one for last…gotta make it a grand finale!_

Reaching up, he bit down on his thumb, drawing blood. He quickly scribbled down the kanji for 'fire' down on his right palm with the blood. On his left palm, he wrote the kanji for 'bird' in blood as well.

Ignoring his audience, he flashed through the handseals. It was long set, fifteen in all. But it was the last handseal that he used that they'd stared at. It was the half-seals of tori and tora, combined together by the raised fingers of both respective seal to form one new handseal.

"Fushichou," he muttered as his hands formed the seal.

Behind Naruto, the earth trembled visibly. Cracks appeared in the grass as a mound began to rise up. The mound was bulging outward, giving off the appearance of a chick trying to break out of its eggshell.

"Sarutobi no Jutsu!" he called out.

The mound was blown up as a large pile of earth and rock came charging forward from behind Naruto. The rock was plowing a long, deep trench behind it, its length rapidly growing by the moment. Rather than dodge to the side, Naruto merely hopped up and landed lightly on the emerging pile. It was quickly rising out of the earth, forming a…face?

Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya all stared up at the pile as it finally materialized fully. But what had them staring was what they saw: the face of Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage. They couldn't help but stare at the likeliness as it continued on its charge…towards them.

Jiraiya blanched. "MOVE!!"

All of them dashed to the side. The face of the Sandaime crashed into the earth where they'd stood, digging a deep crater and kicking up a large dust cloud as it went into a roll. It came to rest rather quickly before falling back into the trench it had just created.

Having jumped away once it started to tumble, Naruto landed lightly on the ground, grinning like an idiot. Well, until Jiraiya rushed up behind him and walloped him in the back of the head. "OW!"

"Watch where you aim those things, baka!" the man cried, his pulse still racing. For the boy to make a jutsu like that…truly unexpected!

"_GEEZ!_" Naruto whined as he rubbed his head. "That hurt, Ero-Sannin!"

"Of course it did, baka!" Jiraiya ranted as he hit the blonde once again for good measure. "That's what happens when you attack your superiors!"

Snorting in defiance, Naruto turned a devious grin on the man. "Well, it's not my fault you almost didn't move in time! What was the matter? Surprised?"

"_Yes!_" Tsunade angrily barked from her location on the summit of one of Naruto's earlier attempts at mastering the jutsu. "How often do you expect to be attacked by the head of your old sensei?!" The face…oh, how it made old memories jump to the forefront of her mind.

"Pretty often then…because we're shinobi!" Naruto called back, grinning broadly. Turning back to his current sensei, he said. "This next jutsu I made especially for you, Ero-Sannin."

This caught Jiraiya's attention. He cocked an eyebrow in response. "Hmm?"

"It's for when you go peeping on the hot springs," Naruto informed him with a sly grin on his face as he formed the saru handseal. After a brief moment of concentration, he pulled his hands apart and threw them up into Jiraiya's face. "Raiden no Jutsu!"

What consumed Jiraiya's eyesight was a blinding flash of light.

It was instantaneously followed by a thunderous roar.

"YAI!" Jumping back subconsciously with a cry of pain, Jiraiya futilely tried to rub the burning light out of his eyes. In his ears was an almost painful ringing noise, cutting off all other sounds.

Temporary blindness. Temporary deafness.

That was probably a good thing, since he didn't hear Naruto's following laughter. And why shouldn't the boy laugh, when Jiraiya was yelling and waving his arms about like a drunken fool? _Damn you brat!_

* * *

"Sasuke-kun, can I ask you something?" 

Sakura and Sasuke sat at Ichiraku's Ramen Shop. Although neither of them particularly liked ramen, it was cheaper than dango. The pair of them had both recently started putting their mission payments into a local bank. While the total in the accounts continued to climb, they were still quite low; Sasuke was too proud to use his clan's collective account for something as minor as his daily meals. That fortune would be better spent when he began to rebuild the clan.

Glancing up from his third and final bowl of miso ramen, Sasuke spotted Sakura's fidgeting; she was rather nervous. Intuition and knowledge of Sakura's common attributes informed Sasuke that whatever she was about to ask of him was a rather personal and somewhat embarrassing issue for her. What could be _that_ embarrassing for her?

He didn't make a reply, but she quickly spotted his inquiring stare. That meant 'yes'.

"Recently I've been trying to make a jutsu," she admitted quietly, blushing horribly at how his eyebrow curled. "But I seem to be running into problems. Then I realized that I needed to practice it on a person--"

"You want me to be your guinea pig," he said. He wasn't surprised, upset, or even delighted, just merely stating the obvious for her. At her hesitant nod, he asked, "Why me?"

"Ano," Sakura stammered, her blush steadily grew brighter as she began speaking. "…because you're an excellent shinobi, Sasuke-kun…You wouldn't make fun of me and…" She gulped. "You're my best friend."

That last statement froze Sasuke. _What?_

The pink-haired girl blinked. "Sasuke-kun?" The only thing that kept Sakura from believing that he'd somehow been magically switched with a statue was that the hair hanging in his eyes shifted with the breeze.

Ever since that tragic night of the Uchiha Massacre, Sasuke had all but shut himself off from other people. He had refused for years to make friends, much less get close to anyone. Otherwise…he would be tempted to one day kill that person when he would inevitably be forced to seek out a way to acquire the Mangekyou Sharingan. He didn't want to walk that path, despite what his avenger's heart told him.

Yet he was Sakura's best friend? _When did this happen?_

His mind was racing as he tried to understand how she'd come to that conclusion. He could understand that she felt they'd grown closer in the past six, almost seven, months. In that time, they had faced several dangers that, in all honesty, they shouldn't have. He had saved her life several times, and she'd helped him increase his training proficiency slightly. Now she was asking for him to return the favor with completing this mystery jutsu. Did that qualify them to be friends, much less _best_ friends?

He slowly looked over at her, his gaze piercing as he tried to understand. He was searching for anything that may have made her feel that way. Did he say anything? Did his demeanor suggest anything? Why had she said that? This wasn't just a fangirl thing, was it?

No…it wasn't.

What he saw was a young kunoichi who was trying to improve herself, and was asking for his assistance. Sakura wasn't that obsessed fan girl that he'd known her to be back at the Academy. Not anymore. She had changed, and she still was.

For some reason this brought a small, almost unnoticeable smile to his face. Not a smirk or a sneer; a _true_ smile despite its small size.

Yes. Despite every single string of logical comebacks he could come up with, she was a _friend_.

So he would help her. Besides, her jutsu might be rather interesting and worth the effort to complete. Surprisingly, the idea of using his Sharingan to copy it didn't even cross his mind as he quietly accepted her offer, noting the gleeful look in her eyes.

All the while, the quiet specter of Uchiha Itachi hung back in his mind, as if goading him onward.

Best friend. Kill her. Obtain the eye. Come for me.

But the voice, once so loud, was very faint now. Sasuke ignored it.

* * *

"So anyway, like I was saying--" 

They were at the same bar. The very same one that Naruto and Jiraiya had first found them at. But now, rather than acting as strangers, they were sharing a happy meal with one another. Tsunade and Shizune were still wearing smiles at Jiraiya's reaction when he had been subjected to the Raiden no Jutsu, much to his annoyance. Their humor was also being supplied by Naruto, who was happily and enthusiastically recounting his most infamous pranks of all-time. This included the Hyuuga Incident and monument graffiti, but it was not limited to it. Oh no.

"--but then Iruka-sensei caught me," Naruto grumbled at the memory. "He made me clean it off with my bare hands! And the worst part was that it was a work of art!" He began mock crying, wiping his face with his arm. "You should've seen the Nidaime; _she _was beautiful! BEAUTIFUL I TELL YA!"

Tsunade froze as the mental image came to mind.

The Nidaime Hokage. With lipstick and facial powder.

"**BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**"

Even Jiraiya grinned at the thought…but mostly due to his teammate's jovial attitude. This was much better than the Tsunade they had met one week ago.

"You've stopped pranking in the village since becoming a shinobi though, right?" Shizune asked when she could laugh no more.

Before Naruto could answer, Tsunade interrupted, "Of course he did. But if he didn't, he's going to have some problems with the Godaime Hokage." Her ample chest seemed to swell as pride (or was it vanity?) filled her. "She'd never let him get away with desecrating _her_ gorgeous face."

"So you actually _are_ going to become the Godaime?" Naruto asked. She had accepted? He hadn't known that. But naturally, his mischievous mind instantly saw the perfect opportunity for an excellent insult. It would help keep her humble to; this would be like performing a public service!

He fixed his expression with disgust and irritation. "When the sudden change of heart?"

"What's with you all of a sudden, baka?" Jiraiya asked, his bad mood still lingering from earlier. He needed to pay the brat back somehow for that new jutsu!

"Well, if you compare her to Ojisan," Naruto said, looking at his sensei so that he could keep from sneering at Tsunade. "She's rough, selfish, loose with money, easily pissed off, and stupid…"

Tsunade's carefree expression hardened into one of extreme annoyance. And it got worse as each of her bad points were so blatantly exposed. The glare she was sending at the boy was even more terrifying than the ones she had given Orochimaru and Kabuto.

But Naruto was now on a roll and couldn't be stopped. "Are you sure she can do it?" Naruto was a split second away from laughing. "I'm worried."

Seeing the telltale twitch of an eyebrow and a throbbing vein on her forehead, Naruto couldn't help but be reminded of Sakura. Naruto could no longer hold it in. Collapsing back on the booth he sat in with Jiraiya, he broke out laughing as loud as he could. "HAHAHAHAHA!"

Jiraiya, his own annoyance growing, smacked Naruto on the head. Perhaps a little harder than he meant to since he knocked the blonde clear off the booth. _Oops_.

Sitting up on the floor as he rubbed his head, Naruto's humor died as he glared at the Ero-Sannin. But the man was ignoring him now in favor of his meal. _Grr…! Stupid pervert!_

Growing serious, Naruto stood up as he continued his earlier observations. "Besides, aren't you fifty-so-so years old, Obaasan? You're totally faking your youth…" He sighed dramatically, waving his hands dismissively like a conceited nobleman. This was _sure _to get her steamed. "Someone like the Hokage shouldn't deceive people like that."

Tsunade's face reddened. "You are _such_ a hypocrite!" She snapped as she suddenly stood up. Leaning down to face him, she threatened, "Who's the one who never reveals his true abilities until he absolutely _must?_"

"I'm a _shinobi!_" Naruto roared, his temper suddenly rising. "That's what I do, _Obaasan!_"

That was the last straw.

"Let's take this outside, _gaki!!_" Tsunade yelled. Her glare was matched by Naruto's own.

Jiraiya just sighed with annoyance. _Same as the last time_…

By the time the quartet had reached the street, Tsunade's anger had mostly dissipated. She found that the more time she spent with Naruto, the less she could hate him. It was uncanny how the boy could do that with such ease.

She only had to deal with his swelling pride and fast temper, both of which were easy to deflate. _Perhaps it's time to give him his reward_… "I'm the Godaime Hokage now," Tsunade said as she took up the same position she had a week ago. "So I most _definitely_ don't need to be serious with a brat like you."

"Oh _yeah?!_" Naruto retorted, still quite irritated. "And I'm the future Rokudaime Hokage! So why should I?"

Tsunade only gave a small smile in reply, making no aggressive movements.

Impatience grew quickly in the mind of Naruto. It was a law of nature. This could be seen as he activated his Kaze Kiwa and rushed her.

Just as he was about to pounce, she snapped her own arm out and tapped various pressure points on his upper arm and shoulder. The result was his arm falling limply to his side and the jutsu dying quickly afterwards. With her other hand, she jerked it up under his chin. This resulted in his head snapping backwards, his headband flying off.

Just as he was getting reoriented, he spotted her hand in front of his face, finger cocked back. A horrifying thought crossed his mind. _AGAIN?!_

His eyes snapped shut in preparation for the blow.

Instead…he felt something draped over his head, coming to rest around his neck. He opened his eyes in surprise as Tsunade took hold of his chin gently and gave him a loving kiss on the forehead.

Eh?

Only after pulling back did Tsunade see the embarrassed blush that lit up his face at her unexpected actions. He looked so adorable like that; wide-eyed, faint red cheeks, surprised stare. For all his loud talk and boasts, he was still a child at heart.

"Become a good man, Naruto," she said, smiling brightly. "And a respectable Hokage."

Only after a moment of staring did Naruto grin in response before glancing down at what she'd given him. The Shodai Hokage's necklace now hung around his neck, glinting proudly in the daylight.

Looking back up at Tsunade, he saw her smiling still. With an elated cry of eagerness, he practically shouted out, "You got it, Tsunade-sama!"

The sheer happiness in Naruto's voice drew the first real smiles from Jiraiya and Shizune that day.

* * *

The gates of Konohagakure never looked so beautiful or welcoming to Tsunade as they reached the outskirts. She watched as Naruto gave an excited cry before he sprinted for gates, completely ignoring his companions. She shook her head ruefully at his happiness of finally returning home. 

However her mood, which was one of content at the moment, was about to be destroyed.

"Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya said, his voice strangely serious as he slowed his walk. "I need to talk to you about something. It's important." He directed the last statement more towards Shizune, who instantly took the hint and hurried forward as well.

"What is it?" she asked, not liking what he was suddenly implying. "Something I should know about?"

"Yes," he said, looking her in the eye. "There were other reasons the council wanted you as the Hokage."

Like any shinobi of extensive experience, Tsunade had long ago lost much respect for the village council. The council was mostly a committee who were more concerned with their own individual power. The welfare of the village was not as important to them, unfortunately. "And?"

"The main focus of those reasons is Naruto," he continued. "They will want you to execute him as soon as you possibly can. But more than just that, they will have a majority of the village supporting them. During Orochimaru's invasion, Naruto had to use the Kyuubi's youki and it was felt by most of Konoha."

"So they want me to kill their 'demon' because he had to use something inside him to stop the _real_ demon, is that it?" she asked, already knowing some of the vague details about Naruto's battle with the Suna Jinchuuriki from what Jiraiya had told her.

"Basically," Jiraiya said. "But there's a bit more than that. There seems to be something going on with Hyuuga clan as well."

Seeing Tsunade's almost concerned glance, he elaborated, "I think things are reaching a boiling point in the clan. When Naruto and I were searching for you, he was attacked by a trio of Hyuuga Jounin. I was able to discover that they were following the orders someone within the clan. Whether he's answering to someone else…I'm not quite sure" He let out a small sigh of resigned anger. "I don't know who this Hyuuga within the clan is or who he's reporting to or who he's working with. But he does have some significant influence…particularly with the Main Family."

"Is that so?" Tsunade said coolly. After a moment's consideration, she sighed as well before continuing, "I guess I should've expected you'd bring him with you for another reason besides training."

"Indeed," Jiraiya said before turning his gaze back towards Konoha's quickly approaching gates. This matter would be dealt with soon; besides, he needed to relax now! A familiar grin came to his face. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some _vital_ research to--"

He never got to finish his statement as Tsunade's killer intent suddenly flared beside him.

Some things never changed.

* * *

Naruto was racing happily through Konoha, laughing loudly. He was so happy to be back home that he didn't even notice the heated glares that were shot at him. His first stop was Ichiraku's Ramen Shop; it had been _too_ long since he had some quality ramen! 

But he didn't quite make it there before he ran into a familiar figure.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" he shouted as he waved and quickly ran up to him.

Flinching slightly at the volume of the all-too-familiar voice, Shikamaru turned to face the blonde. A slight smile lit up on his face, despite the annoyed gaze that seemed to be permanently glued to his features. It made for a rather interesting facial expression.

"Hey, Naruto," he said, waving lazily. "Where've you been? You know, you caused a lot of trouble here a few weeks ago."

"I did?" Naruto asked, cocking his eyebrow slightly in surprise. Of course, he couldn't help but cockily raise his arms. "Well, what do you expect from the Prank Master? I'm the living embodiment of chaos in the making!"

"Or arrogant pride," Shikamaru muttered.

"Nope!" Naruto said, grinning broadly. "That's Sasuke!"

That comment brought a small grin to Shikamaru's face. "True."

"So, where are you going?" Naruto asked, curious since it was still fairly early in the morning. His team practice or missions should be starting soon.

"Oh, just taking care of some annoying business," Shikamaru muttered, his grin turning into a sneer slightly. "Though I'm sure you'll be doing it soon enough yourself."

"Eh?" Naruto said, quite confused at Shikamaru's statement. But before he could comment, a loud groan from his stomach reminded him of his earlier intentions. Ramen! From Ichiraku! Shrugging, he gave a wave of farewell before racing off.

"Ichiraku, _here I come!!_" the blonde was almost singing as the second phrase came out. "Ramen, ramen, ramen!!"

He left a smirking Shikamaru behind him. _Heh. Some 'demon'. Behold, the devil who worships ramen!_

The thought of the Kyuubi no Kitsune bowing to a bowl of miso ramen would've caused the Nara to laugh if the effort would've been less strenuous.

* * *

The meeting with the village council was hardly even worth being called a meeting. 

As soon as Tsunade entered the council chamber – which was in the midst of a meeting already – everyone instantly silenced themselves as they waited patiently for her to take a seat.

"Tsunade-sama, I take it you accepted being the Godaime Hokage," Koharu stated simply.

"Yes," Tsunade answered once she took her position at the head of the chamber. "I'm pleased you're already here. There is much we need to discuss, I'm sure."

"Tsunade-sama," said one of the newer councilors whom she'd never met before. Then again, there were a lot of unfamiliar faces; she hadn't set foot in Konoha for years, much less this chamber. "We require your assistance at once. There is a matter of utmost importance that arose several weeks ago, and only you can resolve it."

"Really?" Tsunade said, feigning ignorance and reluctance. "What matter is that?"

"There is a demon in our village," the man continued. "It's been waiting patiently for a time to strike, and we fear that that time will be soon--"

"In other words," Tsunade interrupted, unable to restrain herself anymore. "You want an execution for Uzumaki Naruto."

"Hai," came a collective call from nearly the entire council. The councilors that didn't reply were either looking decidedly nervous or feigning apathy; Tsunade made a mental note of each of them.

"We've prolonged the beast's existence for too long, Tsunade--"

"You will address me as _Godaime Hokage-sama_, Honorable Councilor," Tsunade snapped, iron in her voice. Seeing the suddenly nervous expressions of the council, she continued, "And I will not order the execution of one of Konoha's most promising shinobi."

"Most promising, _indeed_," one of the councilors muttered sarcastically. It was meant as a whisper, but in the suddenly quiet chambers, it echoed like thunder.

"Yes, _most_ promising," Tsunade growled, glaring at the councilor fiercely, even letting a marginal portion of her killer intent to leak through. "It is entirely thanks to Naruto-kun that I decided to return at all."

The already silent room, if possible, went even quieter as their fears were realized. Jiraiya _had_ brought the brat with him. That could only mean that the brat's sensei was a traitor for knowing and not posting him on the nuke-nin list. Because of Jiraiya's treachery, Tsunade _had_ met the boy and formed some kind of _companionship_ with him.

Tsunade glanced around the room suspiciously. She was looking for anyone who was particularly disappointed, furious, or something. Anything to possibly point out who was the one who ordered the Hyuuga clan to assassinate Naruto, since the Hyuuga would most likely follow the orders only if it came from a village councilor.

She was sorely disappointed to find none. Either the councilor was quite skilled at hiding his or her expressions and moods, or none of the councilors had a part in the attack. Whatever the case, she wasn't going to let them off the hook anytime soon. "Let's continue, shall we?"

As the meeting progressed to more pressing issues like a recent boycott that Kumogakure was imposing on the Fire Country's goods, results of the Chuunin Exam, and relations with Sunagakure, Tsunade realized something. She'd need to set up a meeting with each of the major clans in Konoha. That would give her a wonderful excuse to get inside the Hyuuga compound and snoop around.

First hour on the job and already she was beginning to realize the extent of the damage that one small blonde pre-teen could inflict on a village. It would've been funny if it didn't mean she had to now clean it up.

Ugh…

If only she knew how many headaches Naruto would give her in the future.

* * *

It was a quiet, relaxing morning for many in Konoha. 

But not for Hyuuga Neji.

Taking Hiashi's advice seriously, Neji set to work on further improving the range of his Byakugan. This, he had been informed, would greatly benefit both his training for the Hakkesho Dai Kaiten and his performance as a shinobi in general.

He stood with his back to a trio of small wooden targets in a small clearing just inside the training grounds. Though he'd never admit it to anyone, this place was where he'd officially become a genin with his team. This place also held some…pleasant memories for him.

He…liked it here. If he could name any place as a second home, it would be here.

Forcing his wandering thoughts aside, it took very little concentration for him to activate his Byakugan. No handseals were needed; with his eyesight drastically widened and sharpened to everything around him, he focused on his goal.

Channeling a concentrated burst of chakra into his vision as his eyes narrowed, he spotted his targets. They were exceptionally well-hidden in the dense foliage of the tree canopy. But his skill with the Byakugan was improving; he spotted them with ease.

Sighing quietly, he made a quick count.

"Seven birds," he called out. "Directly behind me, within a fifty meter radius over a hundred meters back."

Turning around, he watched as the chakra signature of his teammate dashed off in the direction he'd indicated. Watching the skies as the startled chirping of the birds reached his ears, he spotted…

_Eight_, he realized with a frown._ Damn!_

Panting heavily, Tenten trudged back towards him. She had just arrived when he had spoken, letting her know that he knew she was there. More than a year's time on his team had informed her that when he was training and he spoke to her, it was because he needed some help. But enough of that! He just _had_ to hear the wonderful news!

"Neji-san," she called out from where she was leaning on a tree. "Tsunade-sama's returned and she's going to be the Godaime Hokage! Do you want to go see her?"

"Sorry," he said neutrally. "Not interested."

He knew who Tsunade was. Mostly due to Tenten's literal hero-worship of the elder medic-nin. Tsunade-sama was one of the few shinobi that Tenten admired more than Neji, mostly because she was a kunoichi spoken of in the same breath as mighty men such as the Sandaime, Jiraiya, and other elite shinobi of Konohagakure. It didn't surprise him that she wanted him to accompany her when she saw the legendary healer for the first time, more for moral support than anything else.

He was just turning back to continue his training when she spoke up again.

"I also know that someone else is back as well," Tenten said in a teasing voice. "Uzumaki Naruto."

She now had Neji's undivided attention.

**

* * *

(Author's Note)**

Wow, I thought I'd never get this chapter out. Despite setting up several points that will come into the next or coming chapters, it felt like this chapter was just crawling out. No real serious development, fair character development sure, but nothing truly groundbreaking. At least that's how it feels to _me_. Oh well, you'll most likely want to see the next chapter. 

Recently, I've been blessed with a new brand of inspiration. However, I'm torn between using this 'new' idea or sticking to my original storyline. While the outcome of this story is not altered in the least, certain events that lead up to the ending are slightly different. And I'm torn so terribly that I'm unable to decide, so I'm going to let you guys put in your opinions.

Here's my dilenma: _should Sasuke go to Orochimaru?_ Believe it or not, the whole thing lies in the answering of this _simple_ question.

However, I have a few requests:  
1) Don't just say he should because "**_he's a bastard who deserves to die!!!_**" (been there, done that, and sick of it!)  
2) Try to list some good examples/excuses for why he should go or stay  
_Majority rules_...but those who offer some valid points will be weighed heavier than those that don't.

Dainamikku Makingu no Jutsu--_Dynamic Marking_ (Akamaru)

**Doton: Sarutobi Sandaime Hokage no Jutsu**--_Earth Release: Monkey King Third Great Fire Shadow_, also known as the Sarutobi no Jutsu//Dedicated to the memory of his beloved 'Ojisan,' the Sarutobi no Jutsu is meant as a surprise frontal attack. The fact that Sandaime Sarutobi was a powerful shinobi even prior to becoming Hokage is what gives this jutsu it's real power of intimidation and surprise. But it is quite easily avoidable once the surprise wears off. High C-Rank ninjutsu

**Raiden no Jutsu**--_Thunder and Lightning_//Like a bolt of lightning, a flash of light momentarily alights the area directly in front of the user. This has the potential of badly hurting the eyes of an enemy, even temporarily blinding them. And, like lightning, with the sudden removal of the light causes an almost instantaneous explosion of sound that is as deafening as thunder. If used in a crowd, there is an almost guaranteed chance of utter confusion and chaos. High C-Rank ninjutsu

Fushichou--_phoenix_ _bird_//A special handseal that Naruto created to aid him in controlling the unstable chakra he uses when he performs the Sarutobi no Jutsu. Without the blood seals on his palms, as well the combined properties of both the tori and tora handseals, successful manipulation of the earth for the Sarutobi in nearly impossible.

Keimon--_Gate of Opening_ (_Initial_)//The first gate releases the brain's limit on the total strain on the muscles, giving the user five times their normal strength.

Kyumon--_Gate of Rest_ (_Heal_ / _Energy_)//The second gate releases the brain's limit on the body's stamina, making a battle-worn person become miraculously ready to fight as if the fight had just started.

Next chapter: _As news of Naruto's return begins circulating through Konoha, forces driven by wounds or blemishes inflicted by the Uzumaki enigma begin moving to intercept. Their goal? Renewed honor and pride in themselves and their clans. It all comes to a head in a chaotic battle for:_ Honor.


	30. Honor

Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 30--Honor

Tsunade frowned at the sight of the patient lying on the bed…mostly due to the report in her hands, describing how he had gotten the wounds. _Goodness…he went through the ringer._

His left arm and left leg had been smashed by the sand of Sabaku no Gaara. But apparently the medical examination had revealed something even more troublesome: a high possibility of bone fragments in the nerves near the injured parts of his body. However, they hadn't been able to determine that.

_Well, let's just see what I can do._ She rolled up her sleeves and laid out her tools on the nearby table. "Okay, Rock Lee. Let's begin." As she began the operation, she briefly wondered how Naruto was doing.

_Probably getting into trouble_, she thought with a semi-bitter grin on her face._ Again._

* * *

Naruto was having the time of his life. "Mmm…" 

It was still quite early in the morning, so he had been able to catch Iruka-sensei at Ichiraku's Ramen Shop. Between retelling his training and what he remembered of his fight with Kabuto-teme, he had a rather captivated listener.

Of course, Naruto didn't spare Teuchi and Ayame. He was pushing for an all-new record of how many bowls he could consume in one sitting, the current record was twenty-two. The fact that he was still eating just as quickly as when he'd started didn't do much to show a decrease in appetite.

"AH!" Naruto plopped down the bowl. "More!"

"He's on his twentieth bowl…" Teuchi muttered, staring at Naruto in astonishment.

"I lost count at fourteen," Ayame confessed sheepishly.

"Anyhow, Iruka-sensei, then the bastard pulled out some kind of genjutsu," Naruto was saying, not even hearing them as he continued to speak. "I don't know what it was, but it hurt like a mother-fucker."

He quickly got bopped on the head by an irate Teuchi. "None of that kind of talk in _my _shop, boy! You may be my best customer, but I still run a tight ship!"

Iruka sighed as Naruto rubbed his head. His voice was stern but his content smile betrayed his amusement, "Remember, Naruto, language."

It had been too long since they'd shared a good conversation over ramen; the recent invasion had seriously curtailed any opportunities for relaxation. However, his smile waned a bit when he realized what he had to say was probably going to piss the blonde off.

"What's the matter, sensei?" Naruto asked just as he was about to drink the broth of his twenty-first bowl, the best part

"Do you know the results of the Chuunin Exam yet?" Iruka asked, silently hoping he had; it would spare him the anger. At Naruto's questioning gaze, he sighed in resignation. "Only Nara Shikamaru was promoted, since he displayed an incredible amount of intelligence and planning."

"Eh?" Naruto said, raising an eyebrow. "Only Shikamaru? Not even Sasuke, or me?" The boy frowned. "Why?"

Iruka suddenly felt a tad relieved that the blonde was taking the news so well, he had expected exasperated fury after all. So he continued in a bit more steady voice. "While both you and Sasuke displayed a remarkable level of skill, it was decided that neither of you yet had the experience to be a team leader. Maybe you'll pass the next exam."

"Of course I will!" Naruto boasted, putting the empty bowl aside and grinning widely. "After all, I'm going to be Hokage, right?!"

The wind shifted, bringing a familiar scent with it.

"Hm?" Glancing around, he spotted a familiar indigo-blue haired girl duck around the corner of a building. _Ah ha_.

"Excuse me, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said, as he stood up and raced over to the building. As he turned the corner, he asked, "Hinata-chan? What are you doing way over here?"

The girl had been leaning heavily on the wall, trembling slightly at how close she was to the one she admired. But with his sudden and loud appearance, she jumped, glancing over at him even as her face lit up with a brilliant blush. She tried to say something, but as usual the words only came out in stutters. "U-um…e-er…u-u-uh…h-hello…"

Smiling kindly at her, Naruto reached out and took her hand. "Hey, Hinata-chan! Haven't seen you in a while."

Hinata gulped as she stared at the hand holding onto her own. _Don't faint…you can handle this!_

Guiding her back over to the ramen shop, he began speaking, never noticing her face take on an unnatural shade of red. "Come on, Hinata-chan! You have got to have some ramen with me and Iruka-sensei! I've got tons to tell you as well about my journey."

Seeing the blonde escorting the Hyuuga heir over to stand, Iruka smiled broadly. Either Naruto was very happy to see her again, or he was finally starting to notice how much she liked him. The academy teacher could only hope that things would work out for them. But as things were…

That's when he suddenly remembered that he had more pressing business to attend to. Besides, he could tell that Hinata would've liked to have some private time with Naruto.

"I need to get going, Naruto-kun," Iruka announced as he paid for their collective meals. This one meal cost more than a whole week's worth for himself. But he didn't mind too much; after all, he had gotten a good story out of it as well. Bowing slightly to Hinata, Iruka said, "Have fun, you two."

"But sensei!" Naruto instantly whined. "I didn't even get to tell you about these awesome jutsus I just made!"

"Don't worry about it," Iruka said, waving his hand dismissively as he started walking away. Calling over his shoulder, he finished, "I'm sure I'll be seeing them soon enough anyway."

Grumbling slightly, Naruto gradually turned back to Hinata. Seeing her confused and nervous stares, he smiled broadly as he launched into a second and much more descriptive retelling his journey. "Okay, Hinata, let me tell you all about what happened in Tanzaku-Gai!"

Hinata hung onto every word.

* * *

It should have been the equivalent of a C-Rank mission in difficulty. 

At this rate it might go up to B-Rank; they should have been able to find him by now!

A surprisingly large, if unofficial, search party was seeking out the blonde Jinchuuriki. Members of Teams Seven, Eight, and Gai were looking all over Konoha for the elusive blonde. But there had been no real luck just yet.

Sasuke and Sakura, having heard of Naruto's return from Kakashi, had been given the day off by their sensei. This was so they could find Naruto and see what activities he'd been involved in while he had been away. But they all knew that the real reason why they had been released early; they were to seek out the blonde in an attempt to bury the hatchet.

Sasuke quietly accompanied Sakura as they searched Konoha. He had been slightly surprised at her frenzied desire to find the blonde. For one moment's worth of time, he'd even favored the assumption that she was starting to take a liking to the Uzumaki. That line of thought almost made him chuckle; Sakura, falling in love with Naruto? As if. But then, upon seeing his searching gaze, Sakura had told him why. And he understood.

Sakura wanted to find Naruto to try and apologize. But she surprisingly refused, point-blank, to tell him the reasons for this. But she did tell him of the apparent sin Kakashi had inflicted on the boy by teaching him the Oboro without Naruto's expressed permission.

_Huh. Naruto got that mad?_ The Oboro had been very useful and helpful; why didn't Naruto feel glad that his technique had been helpful?

Also, Sasuke accompanied her for another, more personal reason: It was high time he learned just where he stood in terms of power and ability to the enigma.

The fact that they were Naruto's teammates gave them some detailed knowledge of where he'd be and what he'd be doing. After some futile searching, the two had finally decided on the blonde's location.

Sasuke instantly knew that they'd found the blonde as they approached the street that Ichiraku was on; the loud voice he could hear coming from it couldn't belong to anyone else. Sakura couldn't help but slap her head; of _course _he'd be here! Why didn't they go here first?

As they rounded the corner, they spotted Naruto sitting in the center of the stand. To one side of him was a shockingly large pile of empty ramen bowls. To the other side sat Hinata who casting cautious glances over at the blonde with a bright red face, no doubt listening to whatever he was so loudly and proudly retelling. Her own bowl of ramen sat untouched in front of her.

Narrowing his eyes, Sasuke felt a sudden spike in his temper. He was back, for real! Fists tightening slightly at the memory of the humiliation he'd felt for the past few weeks, he glared angrily at his rival. He refused to think of him as his superior, no matter what.

A small, almost unnoticeable pulse of warmth flowed through him. On the back of his neck, he could feel the curse seal begin to very slowly leak through Kakashi's seal. Despite the delicious inclination of allowing it to flow free once again, Sasuke forced it back willfully. As the markings returned back inside the seal, he felt his impulsive anger wane.

That had been happening a lot since he had begun experimenting with it. He had only truly noticed when using it for a short amount of time, particularly at the beginning of a training session. He'd always be filled with an unexplainable rage and bloodlust, usually directly towards Naruto or Kakashi. But when the seal faded away, so did the bloodlust; it always left him feeling strangely drained emotionally as well as physically.

Honestly? It was getting annoying.

On his worst days, he'd even entertained the idea of leaving Konoha to find the man who'd given him the seal. That way he could teach him how to further control it. _Feh…stupid seal with its stupid drawback._ Then again, power didn't come without a cost. The Mangekyou Sharingan would require the murder of his best friend. This curse seal of Orochimaru's required thoughts of anger and hate. Not too hard of a choice to make.

Sudden movement from Sakura drew his attention. She was staring at him with an expression of confusion and slight worry. Judging from her face and body posture, he could tell that she most have noticed him going strangely stiff when he spotted Naruto… but thankfully, nothing else. The last thing he needed was Kakashi and several ANBU breathing down his neck. _Keep down you damn seal…I don't want all of my training with you to be for nothing_.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly let it out. With it went any lingering anger he may have felt. Resentment remained, of course, but it was his anger that always brought out the seal. "Let's go," he said quietly, before walking forward towards the ramen stand.

"Hai," Sakura said, quickly catching up to him. As they drew a little closer, Naruto abruptly halted his expressive story and went rigid.

"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, for once not wearing a blush.

Snapping out of whatever daze he must've slipped into, he turned to her with a grin. "Oh nothing, Hinata-chan," he said, his foxy grin widening. Then he gestured over his shoulder, towards Sasuke and Sakura. "I just noticed we have visitors."

Looking over to where he was pointing, Hinata was quick to see what he meant. "Ohayo, Sakura-san, Sasuke-san."

"Ohayo, Hinata-san," Sakura replied politely as they finally came upon the pair.

Sasuke stopped several paces away from the stand to watch, no intention of entering into the conversation. Sakura walked almost uncertainly to Naruto's other side. She glanced at the stacked ramen bowls, taking a quick count.

"Did you eat twenty-three bowls, Naruto?" there was nothing fake about the surprise, awe, and disgust that laced her voice. "How can a person eat so much? Is that even physically possible?"

"I just got a fast metabolism," Naruto said in a dead voice. No emotion slipped through at all. "Call it a curse."

There was a moment of silence as Sakura, Hinata, and even Sasuke were taken aback by Naruto's lack of eagerness. Wasn't this the guy who had once begged the pink-haired kunoichi beside him for dates at the academy on his hands and knees?

To respond to such a ramen-related question with no enthusiasm? It was as if Hell had frozen over. _Now I know why Sakura wants his forgiveness._ An unresponsive, even cold, Naruto was as unbearable and unnatural as a smiling Uchiha Sasuke.

Sasuke briefly thought of what an emo-Naruto would look and act like before unconsciously shivering. Such abominations were better left to the realm of nightmares.

"Ano, Naruto," Sakura began. "There's something I want to show you…maybe teach…"

"Hey, Hinata-chan," Naruto piped up, not seeming to hearing Sakura, or was he ignoring her? "You want to see these awesome new jutsus I made?"

"Ano…" was all Hinata could say before Sasuke unexpectedly spoke.

"Hey, Dobe," he growled, his temper rising, though he was careful not to let his curse seal loosen. "Sakura is serious about this. She made it especially for you. Call it a 'peace-offering.'"

At hearing Sasuke suddenly speak up, Naruto stiffened, hearing every word. After a moment, he turned, locking gazes with the Uchiha.

His usually bright, happy eyes were a haunting gleam of steel.

It almost unnerved Sasuke. But he returned the gaze with his own; his unexpected activation of the Sharingan only added to its steely quality. Since he only used his Sharingan when he was either in a dangerous battle, angry, or was being deathly serious, Naruto knew he was telling the truth. And if he was going out of his way to defend Sakura, it would mean that he also had a hand in this 'peace-offering.'

For a moment, Naruto was stumped.

Honestly, he still felt bitter. She had stolen his scrolls! _His_ jutsu scrolls! And what was Sasuke doing, talking about 'peace-offering', when he also knew a technique of Naruto's? That reminded him; he still had to kick Kakashi's ass.

Naruto fought to keep a scowl from forming on his face; she had broken his trust. The Jinchuuriki couldn't help but feel sour over that. He hadn't had anyone to call a friend for so long. There were only a few people that could qualify as having a bond with him.

That's why Naruto had been so furious when he had seen Sakura with his scrolls. Or when he had found out that Kakashi had copied his Oboro and taught it to Sasuke. These are people he had become reluctant friends with! Connections that he had never before had in his life! They were like a family to him! How _dare_ they try to screw those ties up?!

As an orphan with no real friends for the first six years of his life, he had learned to be fiercely protective of anything that was either given to him or he'd earned. So there was no way he was going to just sit back and let the feelings associated with those bonds go down the tubes after a childhood of sorrow and misery. No way.

Even if what was left to salvage from this 'friendship' was tattered beyond recognition.

That was why Naruto was actually considering seeing what Sakura had to show him. Turning stiffly towards his pink-haired teammate, Naruto's hard gaze softened slightly as he saw the earnest expression on her face. Her jaw was stiff, bottom lip thrust ever-so-slightly forward, giving her an almost pouting face. Soft yet bright green eyes watched his with hope, fear, and eagerness.

Letting out a sigh as his decision was made, he quietly asked, "What is it you want to show me, Sakura-san?"

For some reason, seeing Sakura's relieved smile brought a reluctant smile to his face. Perhaps there was hope to save this 'friendship?'

Before anything else was said, Sakura bowed, her hands clenching the front of her skirt tightly. "Naruto…I'm sorry about…what I did."

Yes. There was hope.

Normally, Naruto would've smiled. Despite that she'd just apologized, his trust and faith in her was very broken and worn. It would take a long time to fix it. Such an amazing thing; how trust was so easy to break.

But he didn't want his 'family connections' with them to break just yet. No…he couldn't bear that. Not when he was just starting to get some more friends besides the shy Hyuuga next to him.

"Eh…thanks, Sakura-san." The resulting smile on Sakura's face made his own slightly plastic smile widen, with a bit of honesty.

Now all he had to do was beat some sense into Hatake-kokuzoku, and he'd be set!

He quietly turned toward Hinata, who had suddenly begun looking feeblish due to the attention Sakura had been getting. The boy quickly said, "Hey, Hinata-chan, come with us! This could be fun!"

Blushing once more, the shy Hyuuga muttered, "Ano…okay."

* * *

"She's late," Kiba said, pleasantly surprised. "That's a first." 

Kiba and Shino stood on the quiet street where Team Eight always met for mission assignments. Kiba and Akamaru had barely arrived in time for the mission, only to discover that Hinata was late. Usually, Hinata was the first one to arrive, and she was quickly followed by Shino and Kurenai. For one reason or another, Kiba always showed up later than his teammates. Perhaps he just didn't have the sense of punctuality that they possessed.

Ever since the invasion, Team Eight had to take the initiative since Kurenai, like many other Jounin, was required to step up and take more solo missions or those too dangerous for a genin team. Today, like every other since that day, they had prepared for another day of clean up and reconstruction of the village. Those rampaging snakes had done a lot of damage.

Considering how the routine usually went, Kiba was quite surprised to find that he was not the last teammate to get there this time. "Where is she?"

Shino was quiet, gazing off into the distance for all that Kiba could tell. Because they had been teammates for more than half a year, the Inuzuka recognized that this 'expression' only happened when he was listening to the report of one of his bugs. Against his better judgment, Kiba decided to wait for the near-mute boy to tell him the news.

Finally raising his gaze to the surprisingly quiet Inuzuka, Shino just stared at him for a moment. Then he looked away without a word.

"I know you know what she's doing," Kiba growled, annoyed at Shino. "What's she doing?"

"Talking to Uzumaki," Shino said indifferently.

Kiba froze. _Uzumaki…he's back!_

If Shino had planned on saying anything else, it wasn't meant to be. Kiba, with Akamaru in his jacket, suddenly sprinted away, their noses flaring for a familiar scent.

Shino could only sigh out of irritation. _Why_ was he partnered with such an _impulsive_ idiot?

* * *

Naruto was quickly back to form. 

"What kind of jutsu is it?" Naruto asked for what felt the ten-thousandth time, which it probably was. "What does it do? How long have you been working on it, Sakura? Did Sasuke really help you with it? Did you, teme? Hey, Hinata-chan, do you know anything about it? Is it awesome or cool? Or is it boring to watch? How much chakra does it use? Does it strain the inner coils?"

The quartet had rushed off to the training fields. Sakura, filled with a peculiar excitement, led the way. Naruto, helpless with curiosity, was practically on her heels the whole way. Hinata, wanting to spend a little more time with Naruto and accidentally forgetting about any prior engagements, wasn't too far behind him. Sasuke lagged back in the rear, resigned to follow due to both his own curiosity at Naruto's reaction and his desire to fight the blonde afterwards.

Needless to say, Naruto could not go a single inch without asking a question. Some of the questions he'd asked actually would've surprised Sakura, due to the fact that the answers actually required rather technical details that only someone of her esteemed intelligence would understand. The thoroughness of a few of the questions he asked, as well as his obvious excitement, only hinted at the fact that she'd stumbled across his most favorite hobby of all time. It only reminded her of how deeply he cared for his personal jutsus.

She had a hard time reminding herself of that, considering how close her temper was to being sparked. All those questions, despite the fact she'd told him she'd answer them after showing him, were really beginning to annoy her. She had almost forgotten _why _she had once thought of Naruto as annoying; his tendency to talk and talk and _talk_ and _TALK_. She suspected that Hinata was annoyed as well, but was too polite to her crush to say anything. Sasuke was far enough back that he wasn't really part of the 'conversation.'

"Hold on, Naruto…we're here." Inner Sakura roared, **_FINALLY!!!_**

Sakura came to a stop. They were at the training ground upon which Team 7 had become Genin.

Turning to face Naruto, she found herself almost face to face with him as he suddenly skidded to a halt behind her. They came within inches before he abruptly leapt away from her with a hint of fear in his expression, as though she were radiating white-hot flames. How odd that, not so long ago, he would've killed to get that close to her.

As he jumped back though…he collided with Hinata. "Whoa!" He lost his balance and fell over.

"Uup!" yelped Hinata as she too lost balance and stumbled. Her eyes widened as she fell, realizing Naruto was going down as well. She was going to fall on him--!

Naruto swiftly turned around and clumsily attempted to catch both her and himself…but alas, his attempt at stopping their fall only made the situation more embarrassing.

He landed on his back. Hinata fell heavily onto his chest. Then came the climax.

Hinata's lips met Naruto's lips.

For one eternal moment, all was silent and staring.

Despite himself, Sasuke grunted in amusement as a large smirk crossed his face. "So, you two going to get busy right here in the field?"

It was his grunt and joke – who'd thought Sasuke _could_ tell a joke? – that returned everyone back to reality. It was hard to tell who moved first, but Hinata didn't resist when Naruto quickly but gently eased her away as he sat up, heaving for air. The blush spreading across both of their faces was redder than a tomato, a cherry, an apple, and a bucket of red paint. Combined.

"Kawaii!" Sakura squealed, hearts in her eyes. She hadn't felt this whimsical since her days in the academy, when gossip was the order of the day outside of the classroom. "Hinata! Your first kiss! You're so lucky!"

Sakura couldn't stop herself from casting a wistful glance in Sasuke's direction. Thankfully it was ignored; the Uchiha hadn't even noticed it. _It's a shame Sasuke lost his first kiss…damn you Naruto! But…maybe, he could kiss me again!_ Inner Sakura fired a cupid's arrow at the duo as she reminisced of herself kissing Sasuke on the bridge to Wave Country. Oh, how she wished to repeat the experience!

However, she was quickly drawn out of her daydreams by both Hinata fainting out of absolute embarrassment and Naruto's bright red face in hers screaming, "It was an accident, Sakura!!_ Honestly! **An ACCIDENT!!!**_"

"Then why were you smiling?" Sasuke suddenly asked. It was when they looked over at him that they saw his red Sharingan blazing brightly. It went without saying that he'd seen everything and had permanently imprinted it into his memory. "You certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself for it being an _accident_."

"_What?!_" Naruto and Sakura yelled simultaneously. The latter quickly pointed at the former. "You were smiling?! You…_ENJOYED _that! Admit it!"

Never before had Sasuke or Sakura seen Naruto go such an unnatural shade of red. So much so that he nearly rivaled the facial color of the unconscious girl whenever she was near the blonde. In fact, they were privately amazed his hair hadn't caught fire yet. This was a far more enjoyable Naruto than the icy one from earlier.

"Oh yes," Sasuke said, his smirk turning into a sneer. Ooh, he was going to get a lot of mileage out of this 'accident.' "Quite a _broad_ smile, too."

"_SHUT UP!!_" Naruto yelled, his face somehow becoming redder. "**_JUST SHUT UP!!!_**"

Naruto somehow managed to compose himself, despite the fact that his mind's thoughts were suddenly preoccupied with the kiss. Quickly turning to Sakura, he sternly asked, "Wasn't there something you wanted to show me, Sakura?"

Sakura just smiled. Naruto's face was still very red, and probably would be for several more minutes. She couldn't help it, even if there was a small amount of jealousy lingering around the edges. Oh, what she wouldn't give to be in that position with Sasuke…quickly coming back to reality, she replied, "Yes, I do…or I would, if you'd stop hovering over Hinata-san."

"QUIET!" Trying to ignore his teammates smirks, he glanced down and saw that he was standing a little closer to Hinata than was really necessary. Glancing around, he spotted the trio of wooden posts only a few paces away. Picking the unconscious Hyuuga girl up carefully, he deposited her against the post on the left side: 'his' post from their Genin exam with Kakashi. _Hinata-chan…_

A fuzzy feeling of sorts swelled through his chest. That had been a lot more enjoyable than the 'kiss' he had given Sasuke. A _LOT _more. By at least ten thousand miles.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, his tone could've been mistaken for seriousness had they not known him for so long. "Scared that she'll be whisked away if you don't stay close?"

"**_SHUT IT, SASUKE-TEME!!!_**" Naruto roared, his face once again going brilliant red against his will. Looking pointed at Sakura as he walked resolutely away from the limp Hyuuga, he said rather pointedly, "Whenever you're ready, Sakura-san?"

"Of course," Sakura said nonchalantly, raising her hands to begin the seal sequence.

* * *

"Heh heh…"came an almost inaudible chuckle from the shrubbery surrounding the training grounds. Hidden expertly in the undergrowth was an old, white-haired super-pervert with a notepad and pen in hand. 

"This is great," he whispered conspiringly with himself. "I _love_ that brat!!"

Sudden movement in the undergrowth near him instantly put him on guard. _Please don't be Tsunade!_ There was _no way _he was going to allow Tsunade-hime take these precious manuscripts just yet! But there was no need to worry; he realized that the person approaching was not Tsunade-hime. The chakra felt different…more laid-back and neutral than Tsunade's, which - despite its curative properties - possessed a somewhat tense quality, indicative of her fiery temperament.

He smiled at the sight of a familiar head of spiky silver hair. _Ah, it's only him…wait._ His wizened eyes glanced around.

Others were approaching as well.

* * *

Delving into her growing chakra reserves, Sakura closed her eyes as she slowly began her handseals. She ignored her teammates' stares, she instead focused on their chakra aura. 

Genjutsu, no matter what sensory ability that was targeted, all shared one common factor: the user _had_ to target the presence and aura of the victim. Since stamina and chakra were used for specific needs in the human body, there were portions of the body that gave off slightly varied chakra wavelengths. And while each human had their own individual aura, these bodily variations were consistent from one person to the next.

Thanks to her practice on Sasuke, she had quickly discovered the wavelengths for sight, sound, and smell: senses that her genjutsu targeted. So for Sakura, targeting those senses was simple…and then the alteration would begin.

As she reached her twentieth and final handseal, she quietly muttered out, "Haruno Sakura no Jutsu."

Gently overlapping the boys' chakra with her own, she intertwined her chakra into theirs. Thanks to the image that she'd cast into her chakra, they found themselves in an entirely different location.

The sight that beheld Naruto was both awe-inspiring and calming. As Sakura faded from his eyesight, he found himself and Sasuke standing in a field. Surrounding them was a ring of sakura trees, their flowers blooming gloriously. A gentle breeze carried the scent of cherry blossoms across the field, the loose petals even littering the ground around them.

Looking around, Naruto felt something change inside him.

A sense of belonging, happiness, and peace gently settled upon him. The calmness…oh, how he wanted to just stand there and relish in the feeling. Never in all his years had he felt such serenity. Despite all of his shinobi training, his painful memories overwhelmed all training instincts, forcing him to partake in the feeling. This place…like heaven…

He loved it here.

Glancing over at Sasuke, he found the boy staring quietly at him. There was a slight smirk pulling at his lips, but it seemed different than the type he was familiar to. Instead of the arrogant smirk that often coated the face of the last Uchiha…this was a knowing smirk. As though he knew something Naruto didn't.

"What?" Naruto asked, a smile growing on his face.

"You're dead now," the Uchiha said, his smirk finally regaining its arrogance..

Before he could question the Uchiha, he froze as the cold edge of a kunai pressed against his neck. Turning to face where the metal had come from, Naruto found himself staring at nothing. "Wha?"

Then, in an instant, the illusion dropped and the peace he felt vanished. Sakura now stood to his side, kunai in hand and pressed lightly against his throat. Where nothing had been before, now she was there. Though her eyes were sparkling with pride, her face was resolute. After a moment of staring and trying to comprehend what had just happened, Naruto blinked as Sakura moved away. Sheathing her weapon, Sakura glanced up at Naruto. His eyes were still wide and staring.

Then understanding dawned on him.

"_That was awesome, Sakura!!_" he cheered. "I'd never have seen that one coming!" A sudden feeling of fear crept across his face. "Man…I really should avoid pissing you off now on! If you used that on me in a fight, I'd probably lose!"

Smiling, Sakura fidgeted silently as she blushed. Although Sasuke had complimented her for 'developing an interesting jutsu,' Naruto's congratulations were more than simple praise. It was more than she'd hoped for when she'd imagined his initial reaction.

"W-Would you like to learn--?"

"Nope!" Naruto said, shaking his head. She had been shot down before she could ask! But before a sense of failure or rejection could settle in, he was already explaining his reasoning. "That's your jutsu, keep it. Besides, I'm not a genjutsu type." Then he turned surprising serious as he continued. "In any case, it's something you made on your own. Take pride in that…teach it to those who want to be taught, and who you _want_ to teach. That's all."

Sakura blinked at Naruto's words. In a way, it was his own method of telling her not to make the same mistake again…and he wasn't being mean about it either. _Naruto…_

Glancing mischievously at Sasuke, Naruto casually commented, "Better be careful, Sasuke-teme. You'll never know when she's stalking you now."

Sasuke barely had time to cock an eyebrow as this idea dawned on him before Naruto was sent on a one-way ticket to terra firma. "Shut up, Naruto!" Sakura yelled.

She was too embarrassed and angered by his comment to notice Sasuke's reaction, which might have been a good thing.

His eyes were wide with surprise and mild horror at the thought of Sakura having her way with him, defenseless under the power of her new genjutsu. _UGH…mind out of the gutter Uchiha!_

* * *

Neji frowned as he walked along the trail to the training ground, accompanied by a quiet Tenten. He was rather irritated that he had to follow Hinata to find Naruto…but then again, he had to admit that she and Umino Iruka were the only ones who could find Naruto on a fairly regular basis. So why was Tenten there? 

Well…mostly to prevent any fight that broke out from getting deadly.

Neji intended to settle his score with Naruto. No matter what. And it looked like he was about to get his wish granted.

They found the blonde, his teammates, and Hinata in the training grounds. Hinata was lying unconscious against one of the training logs. Tenten, fortunately, could tell that she had probably fainted from embarrassment, for she bore no battle wounds.

Naruto, on the other hand, looked like he was getting put through Hell. The pink-haired girl, Sakura, was in the middle of beating the crap out of the hapless blonde, her face red from her anger and a flush of embarrassment. The third teammate, the Uchiha, was watching the beat-down from several feet away, a rather peculiar look on his face.

As they approached the pair, Sasuke glanced over at them. His expression quickly returned to its patented scowl as he recognized them. Sakura and Naruto remained oblivious to the pair, for the former was busy smacking the latter in the face. The closer they approached, the clearer Sakura's voice became.

"--_wonderful feeling of respect?!_" she was yelling, punctuating each word with a blow to his face. "_You are so immature!_"

"But--ura-san--not what--_ooh_, _purr-ty burr-dies_…" the last portion was slurred as Naruto's eyes began to roll in the back of his head.

"Sakura-san," Tenten called out, instantly drawing the enraged girl's attention and sparing Naruto more hits. "If you hit him anymore, I think you'll kill him. That'd be a rather bad idea, wouldn't it?"

In a flash, Sakura's temper vanished and she let the limp boy fall ungracefully to the ground. _Oh my…what just happened? _Sakura recoiled slightly, realizing just what she had done. Curse her inner self and her temper! A pox upon them!

"Ohayo, Tenten-san, Hyuuga-san," she greeted pleasantly, her red flush slowly beginning to recede. "What are you doing here?"

Before the weapon's master could answer, Neji growled out, "I can't believe I lost to someone so pathetic." Here was Naruto, the one who had defeated him, getting beat up by someone who didn't even make it past the preliminary round!

Tenten glanced at her companion with a mixed emotions. Knowing Neji's pride, it was probable that while he'd already been badly humiliated by the loss, seeing his hated rival getting so thoroughly thrashed by a petite girl a year younger than they would've made his loss all the more terrible.

And she was right.

"You don't deserve the honor of being the first to conquer the absolute defense, Uzumaki," the Hyuuga boy growled, disgust and loathing thick in his voice.

"With the way you flaunted your jutsus," Naruto said, earning surprised glances from his teammates. The boy was lying luxuriously on the ground at Sakura's feet, resting his head on one hand propped up on his elbow, acting as though Sakura's barrage hadn't actually hurt him. Had he been acting it out for the heck of it? "it was inevitable that someone would come along to put you in your place."

Neji's eyes narrowed dangerously. _You…!_

Sakura, seeing the murderous gaze in his eyes, wisely decided to step away from the blonde…just in case the blonde provoked the Hyuuga into another fight.

Sasuke, meanwhile, had a rather predictable reaction. "You actually beat the Hyuuga 'prodigy'?"

He was both incredulous and slightly resentful at once. At the time he had arrived at the tournament, Sasuke had noticed that Neji wasn't present…but Naruto was. He had tried to convince himself that that could've meant anything, that Naruto had lost and that Neji was too injured to continue any longer.

But that belief had been mostly forgotten during and after the invasion.

"Yup," Naruto gladly answered, glancing up at the dark-haired boy. "You didn't know? Huh, that's weird. You didn't tell him, Sakura-san?"

Caught between inquiring stares, Sakura could only blush. "I…I forgot to… Gomennasai, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke frowned. _He's getting a lot of rivals all of a sudden_…a_nd he was good enough to humiliate a **Hyuuga**_. That took either a lot of talent, skill, dumb luck, or all three. _Who else is setting their sights on you?_ If too many became Naruto's rivals, what would become him, Naruto's first rival? Would he be just brushed to the side? The Uchiha momentarily scowled; Naruto had beaten Hyuuga Neji. _How far **has** he come…so much for the 'dead-last.'_

"Hai, you beat me, Uzumaki," Neji snapped, once again regaining his rival's wondering attention. "But I wasn't taking you seriously then. This time, you won't win."

"This time?" Naruto asked airily, as if amused at Neji's claim that he hadn't been taking things seriously. Even though his tone was uncaring and his posture was relaxed, there was a steely gleam to his eyes that informed the Hyuuga that he was quietly calculating Neji's wodrs. "Not 'next time'?"

"I challenge you, Uzumaki," Neji said formally as he shifted into his standard Jyuuken stance. "Get on your feet, now!"

"Gomen, Neji," Naruto said, waving his hand as though to shoo the boy away. "But I believe there's someone else who wants to fight me too."

Sasuke couldn't help but look at Naruto out of confusion. Did that mean what he hoped it did? That his rival wanted to fight him first? A shiver of excitement spread through his body, despite his best attempt to control it. _Heh…looks like he knows who to focus on first._

Naruto wasn't looking at him though.

A loud laugh came from the forest, quickly followed by a pair of bodies crashing through the foliage. Sasuke easily recognized Kiba and Akamaru due to the strong smell of dog that accompanied them wherever they went. Even if his own senses were nowhere near as powerful as Naruto's, that scent was unmistakable to anyone. _Ah, damn it. **Him?**_

Skidding to a stop not too far away from Hinata, Kiba quickly examined her. Deeming her to be okay, he turned his attention to his fellow Konoha-nin. "Hey, baka, I wanna fight you first!"

"He is fighting _me_, Inuzuka," Neji growled, closing his eyes in an attempt to calm himself down. Fighting in a rage would only lead to another loss…that would be unacceptable. "Go away."

"Hell no, Hyuuga-teme!" Kiba hollered, his beastly smile grin way to a scowl. "I fought him _first_, _BEFORE _you! _I get first dibs!_"

"He has disgraced the honor of the Hyuuga clan," Neji said sternly, a voice that strongly resembled Hiashi-sama's most condescending tone. "My challenge supersedes your petty pride."

"_PETTY!!_" Kiba yelped.

Before the fight could escalate further, a loud chuckle from their object of desire drew everyone's attentions. "Hehehehehehe…! Great, just great. An egotistical white-eye and a stinky mongrel are fighting over little, old me. Heh, that's funny."

Sitting up properly, Naruto glanced pointedly over at the simmering Uchiha and slightly fearful Haruno. "So, either way, I'm screwed. If I lose, the winner gets to boast that he beat me. If I win, I have to fight again. Heh… that sounds like fun." To be honest, Naruto didn't really care.

Compared to Kabuto, these guys wouldn't be too much trouble.

"Come on!" Kiba yelled, ignoring Neji and suddenly charging at Naruto alongside Akamaru. "Let's go!"

The Inuzuka quickly pulled out two Hyorogan pills, the infamous soldier pill, and popped one each into his mouth and Akamaru's mouth.

Naruto smirked as he readied himself. Heh…trying that old move, eh…?

Oh, don't be so quick to assume.

As Akamaru's fur turned red, Kiba performed multiple handseals. "Naiyabaito no Jutsu!" As chakra coalesced around Kiba's teeth and Akamaru's fangs, he grinned deviously. The genin's fangs gleamed as he snarled, performing yet another set of handseals. "And _now_…_Inu Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

A small poof of smoke obscured the pair for a moment. When it cleared, it revealed… Inuzuka Kiba had become a clone of Akamaru, down to the red fur and everything.

Naruto blinked as he stared at the two little dogs.

Then he burst into laughter.

"**_BWAHAHAHAHA!!! _**Oh man, you're _killing me!_" The blonde couldn't help but laugh; what kind of jutsu was _this?_ This seemed even less useful than the old Jujin Bunshin-Gatsuuga combo! "_Oh man…_"

Then the two dogs leapt at Naruto, nipping at his feet. Their jaws clamped down at full strength on Naruto's toes. The Uzumaki suddenly yelped, "Oh kami-sama, now you're _**really**_ killing me!" The boy leapt back, grimacing at the pain in his feet. _Ow! That really smarts!_ "Damn it! You wanna fight me?! _Bring it!_"

The two pups smirked as they yelped. Kiba and Akamaru swiftly ran on all fours, moving about Naruto at a tremendous velocity. The blonde gulped as he pushed off of his bleeding feet, dodging the twin dogs as they dashed at him. _Fast!_

On the sidelines, Sasuke quietly activated his Sharingan to get a handle on how fast Kiba and Akamaru were moving. The Uchiha couldn't help but feel slightly impressed; despite their small size, the dogs were moving _quite_ swiftly. And judging from Naruto's flabbergasted look, he was having trouble already. _Hmph. Don't tell me you're going to lose to that mutt, dobe._

Naruto flipped over the incoming dogs, landing in front of the nearest tree as Kiba neared him, mouth wide open to reveal glowing fangs. _CRAP!_ The blonde pushed off the tree, managing to duck beneath the transformed Inuzuka. The pup's fangs sunk into the tree's trunk, lodging into place…and to Naruto's eternal shock, he tore through the wood as though it were as durable as wet paper.

Then he realized Akamaru and Kiba were about to execute a pincer technique.

"Uh oh."

The two charged.

* * *

Kakashi frowned as he watched the battle between Kiba and Naruto unfold; considering how hard Naruto was fighting, he would have to take extra precautions to make sure his student wouldn't find him. _Hmm…what to do next?_

Honestly, the silver-haired Jounin was surprised at what he had seen. Sakura, utilizing a new genjutsu? _So that's why she's been so busy lately…and to think I only followed them to make sure Naruto and Sasuke didn't start pummeling each other._

Naruto's response to the genjutsu had been telling; he was mostly used to seeing ninjutsu techniques and deducing how they worked, but he had been rather hapless against the genjutsu. That was a flaw that needed correcting; he had been meaning to focus on Naruto and Sakura after his work with Sasuke, and he had been intending to help Sakura in particular. And yet…he couldn't help but watch the ongoing battle with pride…and slight shame.

Naruto was a largely self-taught shinobi, only asking for help from those that he trusted and those who'd be willing to teach him. Because of this method, his skills were still largely unknown, like someone hiding within the morning mist. And now Sakura was beginning to follow his lead.

_She must have put her all into developing it. I could even feel its effects from here…and considering how low her chakra reserves are, she must have made a complex technique in order for it to be so far-reaching._ Needless to say, the occasional smell of cherry blossoms had been bewildering. But now he knew why_. Then again, her control has been excellent from the beginning; more so than Sasuke's or Naruto's at any rate._

If Kakashi had once questioned her ability to be a kunoichi, those doubts were now completely dashed. Instead of doubt he felt a fair amount of disappointment that, as her sensei, he had had no part in her sudden development. And he was sure that now that she'd discovered what she could accomplish on her own, she would continue to follow in Naruto's footsteps.

Kakashi couldn't help but smirk at the irony. _Sakura, smartest genin in her class, following in the footsteps of the 'dead last.'_

But as he watched his team interact, he was torn between worry and relief about Naruto. Although he was relieved that he seemed to have gotten over his animosity with Sasuke and had - partially - forgiven Sakura, Kakashi couldn't tell if it was an act or not. Such a thing would be destructive to Team Seven's group dynamic. _Then again, I suppose I don't have much room to be talking about group dynamics, eh?_

Kakashi understood that Naruto was pissed about the fact that he taught Oboro to Sasuke. He had given his word, and he had broken it. _I wonder if his opinion would change if he understood the true threat Itachi is to Sasuke…it's not as though I would teach Oboro to just anyone._ Kakashi sighed; he would have to answer for that eventually. _I only hope Naruto will be in a reasoning mood when it comes._

He glanced at Neji and Tenten, being thankful that the mini-Gai wasn't among them. Since Team Gai had been on relatively easy D-Rank missions recently, their mentor had been going on about their 'rivalry' at an increasing rate. Needless to say, even Kakashi's infinite well of patience was being sucked dry. Also, Kakashi was not the least bit surprised when the Hyuuga boy challenged Naruto to a rematch. In fact, he had expected it; no one humiliates a Hyuuga without some form of payback.

But then the Inuzuka from Kurenai-san's team had suddenly appeared and challenged Naruto as well, Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle. Naruto - the dead last of all people! - was gathering quite a few rivals and adversaries, each seeking to defeat him in battle.

It reminded him of several past genin, now Jounin or higher; like himself.

He expected Naruto to try and either talk his way out or do something completely reckless and arrogant. It ended up being neither, as he was forced to defend and fight back when Kiba suddenly attacked.

"This should be interesting," he said quietly. "Don't you think so…" He glanced back. "Asuma-san? Kurenai-san?"

"Hai," both Jounin answered.

"Do you think Kiba stands a chance?" Asuma asked, inquiring almost innocently to the red-eyed young woman.

Glancing at the Sarutobi, Kurenai hummed thoughtfully before returning her gaze to the fight. After a moment of watching, she answered, "Yes, he could win…last time he was arrogant, believing he was fighting someone beneath him. Now he considers Naruto-san his greatest rival…I think he'll fight much better than before."

"Maybe," Kakashi said, the slight smile apparent in his tone. "But you'd be very foolish to think Naruto hasn't improved since then as well."

* * *

Naruto felt tremendous relief as Kiba transformed back into…well, Kiba. _That jutsu combo must use a ton of chakra if he can't keep going with even a soldier pill…good!_

That combo had been too much trouble. Naruto's stronger jutsus would have seriously injured the pups, but they had been too fast for him to use his less-damaging ones. He smirked as they went for the familiar Jujin Bunshin-Gatsuuga combo, trying to get some damage in before the soldier pill wore off. _Yes! Now I can get serious…_

One of the two Kibas appeared in front of him, fist quickly racing at him. Naruto only had time to bring his arms up in defense before the punch landed, sending him a few feet backwards. Losing his balance during the slide, he allowed himself to fall back so that he could roll onto his feet. Taking up a solid position, he watched his two opponents with a growing smirk.

"Come on," Naruto called out. "You can do better than that, can't you?"

Both Kibas smirked knowingly. "Well then," one said. "Let's get serious now."

Separating, intent on attacking on two angles, the two shinobi charged their foe. Nearly simultaneously, they called out, "Gatsuuga!"

Doggedly dodging the dual whirlwinds, Naruto watched as they moved. The Gatsuuga that the Inuzuka clan favored so much reminded him greatly of his Kaze Doriru. Aside from the fact that the jutsu was land-based unlike the Kaze Doriru, they were completely identical. If that was true, then wouldn't that mean…

Flashing through the handseals, Naruto sprung backwards, using one hand to propel himself away. Around the other hand his Kaze Kiwa roared to life. Just as he was skidding to a halt, Naruto spotted one of the Gatsuuga in front of him, too close to dodge. It was instinct alone that caused his free hand, Kaze Kiwa and all, rise up to defend.

The stampeding whirlwind crashed into him, the Kaze Kiwa blocking the attack's progress.

Then the impossible happened…Akamaru's Gatsuuga was deflected.

The winds of the Kaze Kiwa were just strong enough to push the Gatsuuga over his arm, just missing his shoulder. But the force of the impact that came with the clash was enough to knock Naruto off balance again.

"Shikyaku!" Kiba yelled, pouncing at the chance to strike.

Kiba rushed in and kicked Naruto high into the air. Before the blonde could reorient himself, Akamaru rebounded from the deflected Gatsuuga and smashed into Naruto's back. The blow knocked him back into Kiba's charging form, who finished off the battle with a strong kick to the side. Naruto gagged as he was sent careening lopsidedly to the ground.

Landing easily on the ground beside each other, Kiba and the transformed Akamaru grinned broadly at the crumpled heap that was Naruto. After that little warm-up, it was only a matter of time before Naruto got serious. _Then_ it would get interesting.

A quiet chuckling came from Naruto's downed form. "Heh…heh heh heh…" Rolling over onto his back, Naruto quickly snapped up to his feet. Looking up at his opponents, the blonde's grin only widened. "That wasn't too bad. You've gotten better since the last time we fought, both of you." Kiba and Akamaru both smiled even more broadly at the compliment. "But still, I'm not done _yet_." The last word was accented by his Oboro no Jutsu bursting to life. Without handseals.

That drew gazes of surprise and growls of irritation from his audience. Konoha's most unpredictable shinobi had just struck again.

"Let's continue!" Naruto yelled as fifty Kage Bunshins suddenly surrounded the pair. Kiba and Akamaru both charged at the shadow clones.

Since Akamaru had to conserve his rapidly dwindling chakra, a side effect of the soldier pill, the canine rushed the numerous blondes, once again utilizing the Shikyaku no Jutsu.

Kiba, on the other hand, had no qualms against using his singular Tsuuga, plowing through the clones without remorse. Ahead of him, Kiba spotted one of the Narutos suddenly take a stand, the Tatewaru spinning wildly around a reared arm. _Is he going to punch me with that?! Not with the Tsuuga you can't_, Kiba thought, smirking to himself. It was with this thought that he continued on his path towards the blonde.

Even though he was smiling, Naruto's gaze was sharp and calculating. He watched as the whirlwind came at him, scrutinizing it with an experienced eye. _Yeah…definitely like the Kaze Doriru…and my Kaze Kiwa too_. The winds were originating from a single point in front of Kiba as he moved about. But where Naruto used a point almost thinner than a needle's tip, the Tsuuga or Gatsuuga's point was broader by a slight amount.

In theory…this meant that his Kaze Kiwa could enter the vortex and hit Kiba. Just like when he tried it against Neji and his Kaiten! _Okay…rotate in Kiba's direction…think I'll punch him this time. Wouldn't do me any good if I killed him!_ With a cry of determination, mostly to remove his fears and hesitation, Naruto thrust his fist at Kiba.

An eruption of wind washed away from the pair, kicking up dust and leaves as the forest rumbled. Neji, Sakura, Tenten, and Sasuke all braced themselves as the wind rushed outward. The Kage Bunshins attacking Akamaru all yelped as they were dispelled by the gusts. At the same time, the vortex of Kiba's Tsuuga had been cancelled out by the Kaze Kiwa.

Fist? Meet face.

The blow sent both Kiba and Naruto flying in the directions they had come from. Naruto couldn't help but burst out laughing as he landed several feet away. _It worked!! Eat that Kiba!_

"**RAR!!!**"

Naruto whirled around to see Akamaru, who was downright angry at the sight of his collapsed, unmoving master. The blonde barely got his arms up in time before the Kiba-esque dog crashed into his body, sending them both into the river.

Jumping up onto the training posts, Sasuke, Sakura, and Tenten watched the river for any sign of movement. At first there was none.

Then a pair of bodies burst out of the water in a spray of mist. Naruto was on top of Akamaru - who still bore Kiba's appearance - holding onto the collar of the jacket tightly.

"_Bad--_" Naruto yelled, drawing his arm back in preparation. "_--dog!!_" The punch to Akamaru's chest sent the dog crashing to the ground, causing a small _poof_. When a slight cloud of dust and smoke faded, an unconscious Akamaru - now in his original form - was visible.

Landing lightly ahead of his downed opponent, Naruto only spared the canine a glance for confirmation of his downfall. "Okay…" Quickly spotting Kiba, he noticed for the first time that he was unconscious as well. That head-on punch must've been stronger than he thought, or Kiba had been traveling faster than he expected. "Well…either way, looks like I win." Naruto grinned as he shook some water off of his soggy sleeves. "That was _fun!_"

"_My turn!_"

Naruto quickly leapt back as Neji fell down from above, his outstretched foot crashing into the dirt. "_HEY!_" yelped Naruto as he glared at the Hyuuga. "That was cheap!"

"Just making sure you're ready to fight, Uzumaki-san," muttered Neji as he slid into his signature Jyuuken style. "A victory over you would mean nothing if you couldn't dodge such a simple strike."

Growling in annoyance, Naruto flexed his fingers. _Great. Now I have to face this creep._ The blonde couldn't help but unconsciously shiver at the sight of those Byakugan eyes. _Damn. He's taking this way more seriously than he did during the Third Exam…and I've already been through a fight with Kiba._

The blonde shrugged at his thoughts; it wouldn't matter either way. He'd just have to fulfill his role as the Number 1 hyper-active, knuckleheaded Konoha-nin and pull a surprise victory out of his ass yet again. "Okay, Neji…bring it on!"

"I will." And then he moved, hands flashing forward.

* * *

Hyuuga Himochi had only been going out on a stroll. How was he supposed to know that there was a fight going on here? But it wasn't just any fight; it was a redux of the Chuunin Exam battle between the genius of the Hyuuga and the Kyuubi's vessel. The looks in their eyes was one of absolute seriousness and resolute determination: a gaze shared amongst all warriors. 

Questions sprung to his head like as quickly as a spreading brushfire. _Why is Neji trying to battle Uzumaki? Are they merely training? Why is Hinata-sama unconscious? Did the fight just start?_

Concealing his presence with the expertise of a high Chuunin, because he _was _one, Himochi hung back to watch the proceedings. Perhaps Neji was trying to avenge his loss and restore the honor of the Hyuuga clan. If that were the case, Himochi's witnessing of the event would be necessary should Neji try to announce his success to the Hyuuga Clan.

But…if by some bizarre chance that didn't happen, he had to be here to see it.

Either way, his father would want to know about the outcome of this fight.

* * *

Neji was faster and more intense than before. His fingers and fists were whizzing about, and he was getting closer and closer. Naruto pumped chakra into his arms and legs in order to increase his speed and agility, and the genius was _still _getting closer. 

"Come on!" Naruto yelled as he threw a punch at the approaching Hyuuga. "Give it all you've got!!"

Neji brushed past Naruto's punch, passing by him through the outside. As he passed the surprised blonde, Neji tapped various points on his enemy's arm before dashing away. Skidding to a halt behind the blonde, he turned with the slide to keep his front towards his enemy. He would not lose this time. _Not_ this time!

Naruto grimaced as his arm began to numb. Neji was still aiming for his tenketsu, but he had only managed to close some. Unlike during the Finals, Naruto knew how to fight Neji…not that the Hyuuga was going to make it easy. He could already see that this wasn't going to end well for _either_ of them. But Hell would freeze over before he admitted that.

That sentiment is what fueled Naruto to whirl around while calling out, "I suppose you think that _hurt_ me?!"

Chakra exploded from Naruto's body as he was enveloped his infamous Oboro no Jutsu. Utilizing all of his speed and strength, Naruto became a literal tornado of punches and kicks as he forced Neji back, fighting like a wild man.

The Hyuuga merely smirked wider, even as he dodged and blocked various attacks. It had taken some time and much meditation, but Neji felt that he had finally begun to understand how Naruto fought. Whether his opponent realized it or not, he had begun to fight like his chakra alignment: as fast and furious as the wind, quick to strike and never ceasing until it died out. _Uzumaki…I will quell that wind of yours!_

Fleetingly, Naruto dashed in to deliver quick and devastating jabs before retreating to a safe distance. He would stalk his prey for a little while…and wait until his guard dropped again. Nevertheless, Neji had to admit that Naruto utilized a rather effective fighting style unlike anything he had ever used before. In Jyuuken, one had to get within quick striking distance and deliver fast blows to the inner coils. There was no room for retreating; dodging was common, but a Hyuuga never retreated.

Neji had learned one way to fight with Jyuuken: forward, forward, forward. Keep going forward until the enemy was crushed beneath your feet.

But, like the true genius he was, Neji found a way to use Naruto's style to his advantage. He had to adapt in order to defeat Naruto, and he had done so. With all the bouncing about, retreating and attacking, it would help to decrease the boy's unnatural stamina. Plus, if he struck him in just the right spot, the blonde would retreat to the right distance for…

"Hakke: Rokujuuyon Sho!" Neji roared as he dropped into the jutsu's signature stance. Using all the speed he'd gained while training under Gai-sensei, Neji was able to capture the blonde before he could escape. Even though he couldn't see Naruto's tenketsu anymore, he was more than confident with his good memory. _I'll finish this NOW!_

"Hakke two palms!"

Naruto paled as he impulsively went into a defensive stance, too stunned by Neji's speed to move.

"Four palms! Eight palms!" Neji's fingers danced, treating Naruto's body as though it were a ballroom. "Sixteen palms!"

"_Thirty-two palms!_"

Naruto felt his whole body begin to go numb.

"_SIXTY-FOUR PALMS!!_"

Naruto cried out in agony as the last finger hit…but then Neji, capitalizing on the blonde's state of confusion, whirled around and delivered a chakra-covered palm to the chest. Chakra roared through Naruto; he could actually feel the Hyuuga's cut and tear at his muscles and organs as it passed through.

Tumbling away and landing in a heap, Naruto barely found the strength to raise his head up to look at Neji. Neji was openly smirking in his usual self-satisfied manner, his Byakugan slowly vanishing.

"Pure brute force isn't enough to handle a mixture of finesse and power," Neji said, his smirk turning into his signature 'all-knowing smile.' "You took my pride and honor, so I took yours. How does it feel, baka?"

For one infinite moment, Naruto was quiet, his eyes settled into a finely honed glare. It was in that moment that a miniscule burst of youki erupted out of the Yondaime's seal on his stomach. Whether it was a gift from the Kyuubi or drawn out by Naruto subconsciously would never be known. But that tiny burst of youki was more than enough to force open Naruto's tenketsu.

Neji, whose Byakugan had deactivated, didn't see the red chakra that swelled through Naruto. He and the others felt the oppressive flare of killing intent that poured from the blonde, but he shrugged it off as 'merely' killing intent. It would cost him.

Sasuke and Sakura, however, instantly recognized the feel of the youki. Despite herself, Sakura almost whimpered as the feeling washed over her. Even that tiny amount was as terrifying to her as the excessive amounts that she'd felt when she'd witnessed Naruto's transformation.

Tenten was also shaking considerably. _What in the world…what's this chakra I feel…?_

Though Sakura had decided that Naruto being a Jinchuuriki didn't matter to her, witnessing the power in person was another matter. The feeling Naruto emitted was enough to drive normal people crazy, so powerful and overwhelming it was. She was actually a split second away from doing something drastic - flee, scream, _something_ - when something calmed her. A warm, reassuring, but firm hand descended upon her shoulder. _Sasuke-kun…_

Sasuke's face was empty of any emotion. But his eyes had suddenly changed into the red Sharingan. He was staring at Naruto, experiencing a feeling of dread in his bones. He truly wanted to fight Naruto…but that power that Naruto possessed was truly incredible. _I want to fight you more than ever now…I want to know where I stand compared to you!_

Hinata finally stirred and pulled herself awake.

The sight of Neji-niisan standing imperiously over Naruto-kun told all she needed to know. Judging from Naruto's posture, it was obvious that his tenketsu had been sealed. She honestly believed that that was the only thing that could bring him to the ground like that…and now there was this tremendous power erupting from him. Then, unexplainably to her, her crush rolled lightly over onto his back and sprung to his feet. It was as though he was just getting back up from being knocked down again.

"I don't think so, Neji," Naruto drawled, loving the shocked expression on Neji's face.

"How'd you do that?!" Neji demanded, leaping away from the blonde and sliding into a Jyuuken stance.

Rather than answer, Naruto grinned broadly as his Oboro returned. "That trick won't work this time!"

Raising his foot high, Naruto brought it forcefully down on the ground. The stomp kicked up a large boulder in front of the blonde. Pivoting on the same foot, Naruto sent a hard kick into the boulder. It had enough force behind it to send it racing at Neji with tremendous speed. Caught by surprise, Neji was forced to leap aside, only to find himself having to dodge again as another equally large boulder raced at him.

"Quit playing around, baka!" Neji yelled as he leapt over a third boulder. "This is a serious match!"

"Oh really?" Naruto asked, cocking his head to the side skeptically. "I thought that this was a really refreshing training exercise…Come on, admit it! You're also having fun!"

Neji's scowl deepened as he refused to reply…even though Naruto was right. Truthfully, he was kind of enjoying himself. Being able to beat up such a resilient foe, while annoying, was almost as enjoyable as showing up Lee in training and sparring exercises. But he'd be damned before he'd admit that!

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled harshly, annoyed at his rival having so much fun. His once-again dark eyes glared jealously at his teammate. "Hurry it up! We've got more important things to do!"

"But Sasuke-teme…!" the blonde whined as he glanced at his teammate, acting like a spoiled brat. "I was just getting to _really_ fun part!" Ignoring whatever the Uchiha said in reply, Naruto rushed Neji. Hands flashing automatically through four handseals, his Kaze Kiwa sprung to life.

Seeing the bane of his existence, Neji did the first thing that came to mind as the blonde attacked.

"Kaiten!"

The Hyuuga jutsu, catching Naruto by surprise, threw him haphazardly across the training field. "The Tatewaru won't work a second time," Neji growled dangerously, his Byakugan flaring and magnifying his killing desire. "_I will not allow it!_"

"Tatewaru?" Naruto asked as he sat up. "What's that?"

"He means your Kaze Kiwa," Sakura spoke up, trying to pretend she didn't feel Sasuke's inquiring gaze.

"Really?" the blonde called to her. "Who came up with that? When?"

"When you used it to beat him!" she answered, smiling slightly for some reason. "The entire village is calling it that."

"Tatewaru, eh?" Naruto considered the name for a moment. "Shield Breaker…Heh, I like it." Glancing over at Neji, Naruto's mind was racing. For some reason, the new name for his Kaze Kiwa drove him into a desire to utilize it. Maybe he should…

_Hm, okay, yeah._ The small grin that had appeared on his face quickly began to widen. Looking up at Neji, he spotted the suddenly anxious teenager's expression. It was that look on his face that sealed his fate. Standing up, Naruto carelessly dusted himself off.

Grinning broadly at his opponent, he said, "Let me show you something, Neji-san." Flashing through the handseals for his Kaze Kiwa again, the jutsu sprung to life easily. "This is my Kaze Kiwa. It always has been, and always will be." Then the jutsu died away once his sentence was completed. "But this…" he began the same sequence of handseals.

Only this time, it was different.

It was much more powerful. The chakra usage for the jutsu was so great that numerous streaks of it wildly circling the blonde's fist were clearly visible with the wind. "Is my new best friend!"

Then the real force of the wind kicked in. If the Kaze Kiwa was a tornado of sharpened wind around his forearm, this new…_thing_ was a raging hurricane! Long tendrils of wind were spinning so wildly around his arm that they even arched further up his arm and past his elbow, behind him. The winds on his arm were even generating a powerful gust that was sweeping and pulling at the bystanders' clothing.

"_Tatewaru!!_" Naruto yelled joyously, instinctively knowing the force of nature he now held around his hand. _Yes, yes!! Now **this **is what I'm talking about! More chakra, more power!_

Time slowed to crawl for Neji and Naruto. Naruto raced forward, Tatewaru at the ready. Neji immediately knew that he couldn't allow himself to be touched by hurricane. Gathering his chakra quickly, he expelled it and tried to initiate the Kaiten again.

The Kaiten may not have been perfect, but the circumstances were different. Naruto was attacking from the side this time. While the jutsu was undoubtedly stronger, it would still have a hard time piercing the Kaiten from that angle. _I won't let him pierce my defense…NOT this time!_

But Neji didn't have enough time to complete the Kaiten.

He was only able to attain the Hakke Kusho no Jutsu, a lesser version of the Kaiten but no less powerful. Had he been able to call out the Kaiten successfully, he might have been able to win. His palm, swirling with chakra, zoomed, creating a small field of concentrated chakra in front of the Tatewaru…and then they collided.

Where the Kusho would've blown any attacking force away, the Tatewaru refused to yield. The spinning motion of the chakra and wind only caused the Tatewaru to be deflected…_inward_.

The unstoppable force had met the immovable object, and the immovable object had opened its doors wide open.

A devastating punch, fueled by hurricane force winds, slammed into Neji's jaw.

It knocked him off of his feet; the winds picked up his body and sent him flying a great distance away before finally losing their power. As he was sailing through the air, Neji could feel his strength and will to fight rapidly dwindling away.

Again…I lost **again**. Even when I was fighting for something, when I had something to gain…I lost… **Why?** Why am I unable to win against him? Is it because…I wasn't fighting for…the right reasons? If so, then…what are **his** reasons?

His strength vanished. His will to fight was extinguished. His desire for revenge and reclaiming his lost pride was forgotten in the tide of confusion.

Once again, the Hyuuga genius had been defeated by the dead last of the Academy.

* * *

**(Author's Note)** Hey, guys and gals. There it is, the epic rematch of Naruto and Kiba/Neji. What do you think? I hope I didn't downplay any of their characters. I think I'm slipping a bit out of practice with their personalities. Sorry if I totally messed up your mental image of one of them. 

And also, I know that Naruto's reunion with his teammates certainly wasn't quite what any of you were expecting. My excuse? That I'm starting to slip up, like I mentioned above.

What do you think of Sakura's jutsu? To be honest, I've been wanting to introduce this jutsu since well before the Chuunin Exam. But she lacked the motivation then. And the interesting thing is that I was inspired for the genjutsu when I stumbled across a random picture of her surrounded in sakura petals. Kind of poetic in a way, at least I think so.

As for the Sasuke/Orochimaru situation, I've made my decision. That doesn't mean I'll tell you (_yet_). I am going to keep you on your toes until the _bitter end _when it is finally revealed just what was happening (hint hint). At least the end of the story arc, not the story. Thank you all who voiced an opinion, and _many_ of you had very valid reasons for whether he should go or stay.

This is very **IMPORTANT!!!** Due to circumstances far from my control, I will be unable to post the next chapter until another three weeks (early April) at the earliest. The reason? Special two-week military field training exercise that is mandatory for my company. So, I hope this chapter will sate your appetites until I'm back. And this notice is effective immediately.

Finally, I have an approximate estimate of how chapters the Legacy shall contain; nearly, if not, 40 chapters. Of course I have absolutely **_no _**idea how many _Legacy II _will have, but probably even longer in length. Here's another question for all of you. Should I put _Legacy II _on with _Legacy_, or start it as a separate story? This question isn't important, only a matter of opinion, so don't feel obligated to answer it if you don't want to.

Translations  
_Himochi_--fire-holding qualities

**Hakke: Kusho no Jutsu**_//Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm_--This jutsu is similar in practice to the Kaiten, but has a specific target rather than a general area. To perform it, the user does a palm thrust at an opponent while expelling a large burst of chakra from their palm. This violently pushes the opponent away. The opponent does not need to be within reach of the user for the attack to be effective. Middle C-Rank (Neji)

**Haruno Sakura no Jutsu**//_Field of Cherry Blossoms_--Sakura's first original genjutsu. A genjutsu that targets a person's sight, hearing, and smell. It surrounds the user in a field of cherry trees in full bloom, complete with a realistic smell. This genjutsu is very useful for calming a person down, bringing a sense of peace to a troubled heart and mind. While this jutsu is in effect, Sakura is completely invisible since she is able to control what the victim sees, hears, and smells. And because the victim will almost always drop their guard, it is very easy for her to sneak up on the victim and deliver a fatal blow. Of course once she attacks, the genjutsu becomes useless and she usually dissolves it. The genjutsu is extremely well-made, due to Sakura's perfect chakra control and thus nearly impossible for any but the most experienced Chuunin to escape from. Low B-Rank Genjutsu (Sakura)

**Inu Bunshin no Jutsu**_//Dog Clone_--A modified version of Jujin Bunshin and Henge that transforms the user into the mirror image of their canine companion. This jutsu is exclusively used in the Inuzuka clan, and is considered a precursor to the Garouga no Jutsu. Due to Akamaru's small size, as well as increased chakra potential with thanks to a soldier pill, the Inu Bunshin usually make the user three times as fast and agile as they normally are. When facing multiple enemies who use this jutsu, there is a very low possibility for victory or escape. High C-Rank ninjutsu. (Kiba/Akamaru)

**Naiyabaito no Jutsu**_//Diamond Bite_--A supplementary jutsu for the Inu Bunshin. What it does is merely increase the biting power of the user's teeth and jaws. The stronger the user is, the greater the bite becomes. However, it is very easy to lose track of how draining this jutsu can be on the user when they're focused more on the battle situation. Low C-Rank ninjutsu (Kiba/Akamaru)

Next chapter: _Hyuuga Higyou has found his excuse and makes his move. Things are probably going to get quite messy for the clan in a very short amount of time. Will Hiashi be able control his clan, or will the clan be torn apart in the: _Winds of Change


	31. Winds of Change

Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 31--Winds of Change

He watched in mute surprise and disbelief.

When he'd originally heard that Uzumaki had beaten Neji and broke through their absolute defense, Himochi had just shrugged it off as a fluke at best. Gossip tended to change and exaggerate battles until they were almost nothing like they really had been. As the youngest son of Hyuuga Higyou, Himochi also knew that his father tended to be a bit close-minded when it came to matters that he considered depended on or demonstrated the Hyuuga clan honor and pride.

But now the sixteen-year-old Chuunin knew otherwise. Uzumaki Naruto truly was a shinobi to keep a careful eye on. He may not have greatly outsmarted the Hyuuga clan's 'prodigy' this time. But he had certainly intimidated and overpowered the boy with apparent ease. In a battle, confidence in one's abilities was far more important than trusting a teammate. At least, that's what he'd been raised to believe.

And Naruto certainly didn't lack confidence.

His father would want to know of these new developments right away!

* * *

She watched in fear and awe as her teammate was blown back by the power of the punch that Naruto had given him. Neji's head had been thrown back with a small amount of blood and a broken tooth or two came gushing out. The winds that had carried him away abruptly lost their power and vanished. Leaving Neji flying uncontrollably towards a tree, headfirst. 

If she had had Lee-san's speed, Tenten would've thrown herself between Neji and the tree. She'd have caught him as soon as the winds died down. But because she wasn't fast enough, she was forced to stare in horror as her crush was sent on possibly-fatal collision course with the tree line behind him.

Never had she been so relieved to see a green blur suddenly appear behind Neji and catch him. Gai-sensei quickly but gently set Neji on the ground, a look of approval on his face.

"Ah!! Neji-san!" Gai-sensei suddenly bellowed, tears of indescribable joy falling freely. "You _do_ possess the _flames of youth _after all!! _Trying to improve yourself by facing the one who so badly defeated you!! You make me so proud to call you my apprentice!!_"

Whatever relief Tenten may have had at Gai's rescue of Neji vanished in an instant. Thank goodness that hadn't been her over there. Her ears were ringing from Gai's voice and she was on the other side of the clearing! But Neji's eyes were glazed over, off in his own little world. Tenten found herself jealous of him for a moment for his ignorance.

"Gai-san," a feminine voice called from the side. Emerging from the undergrowth came three Jounin that Tenten had became rather familiar with: Kurenai, Asuma, and Kakashi. "I don't believe it is very healthy for you to yell in your student's ears like that."

"I'm only exhibiting the powers of my youth!" Gai shot back at the kunoichi, sounding almost hurt at her accusation.

Tenten's attention was drawn away from the Jounin when movement from Naruto caught her eye. His right arm was twitching very badly, even when he resolutely clenched his fist. A slight grimace of pain flashed across his face as he was slowly reached up to grasp his elbow. She quickly recognized the signs for what they were.

Sometimes when a shinobi had a jutsu that required more than his body could dish out, it had negative effects on the user. The example that best explained this problem would have to be Katon jutsus for a fresh genin. Unless the genin had good sized chakra reserves and fair control, a Katon jutsu could burn the genin from the inside-out. That was only in the most _extreme_ cases, but the point had been ingrained into her brain since childhood.

From what she could see of his arm, it was an unhealthy shade of red. Almost like it had been burned. Perhaps the strain of having his tenketsu sealed and then forcefully opened, along with the amount of chakra that had fed the Tatewaru, put an enormous strain on his arm? She could easily understand if that was the case.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, worry overriding her embarrassment of what had happened earlier. She was at his side very quickly, gently taking his arm and sliding the sleeve up. What she revealed was just as Tenten had predicted, various dark red dots were scattered across his arm while the rest was red, like a really bad sunburn.

"I'm fine," he said gently, not looking her in the eyes like he usually did. Sliding his sleeve back down his arm, Naruto pulled himself free of the Hyuuga heir.

It didn't take a genius to notice something had happened between them. Naruto always, in all the times Tenten had seen him, looked a person in the eyes. His eyes were always filled with absolute confidence, whether it was while he was fighting and losing or being insulted by someone. Something that really embarrassed him so badly had happened with Hinata recently and he wasn't able to look at her because of it. _But what?!_

"Yo," Kakashi said pleasantly as he walked towards them, away from his bickering companions. "Long time, no see, Naruto."

Almost too quiet for her to hear, Tenten heard the blonde mutter darkly, "Not long enough."

Kakashi either ignored the mutter or didn't hear it. "How was your trip, Naruto? I see you were able to bring Tsunade-sama back with you."

"I would've been just fine if not for assassins, deranged brothers, a drunkard, and a snake," Naruto muttered in a slightly louder voice. Though his voice was empty, his face was that of a repressed killer. The glare he was sending the man was quite unsettling.

"What do you mean by that?" Sakura asked, slightly confused and worried. This probably was Naruto's first encounter with Kakashi since the Finals. It was hard to determine if he was going to yell, attack, or leave.

"Just that everyone and their brother were out to kill me," Naruto said, turning a forced grin to his teammates, effectively hiding his pain once again. "It was getting very irritating for a little while. But I--oh yeah!!"

Reaching into his weapons' pouch on his hip, favoring his left arm, he withdrew a scroll. He groaned at seeing what condition it was in, almost completely drenched from his time in the river. But Tenten recognized the material of the paper, it was that special kind that was much more resistant to water. Perfect for shinobi since it took much longer to disintegrate or to smear any writing that the scrolls contained. But the material was always a bit tacky, so it wasn't a very big favorite among Konoha shinobi.

Walking forward, he hurried past his sensei and towards the three Jounin behind him. "Asuma-sensei!" he called, holding the scroll out ahead of him.

"Yeah?" the man asked as he turned towards the blonde, taking a long inhale of his latest cigarette before blowing it out.

Coming to a stop in front of the man, Naruto smiled sheepishly as he held the scroll up to him. "Here, this is for you and your entire family. I made it myself for Ojisan!" he didn't even try to hide the overwhelming pride in his voice or award-winning foxy grin.

Taking the scroll and absentmindedly unrolling it slightly, Asuma's eyes widened slightly as he read whatever was on the scroll. He quickly stared down at Naruto who was now giving him a nervous version of his patented foxy grin.

"Normally, I don't do this," the blonde said matter-of-factly. "but I realize that jutsu just isn't my style. Maybe you could use it better than me…? Just promise to teach it to Konohamaru when he's strong enough, okay?"

Seeing the chain-smoker's nod of agreement, Naruto fired off another grin before running off into the tree line. The training field was quiet for a moment. Tenten had rushed to Neji and Gai-sensei to help inspect Neji's wounds. Aside from a few bruises, as well as the big one forming on his jawbone, he wasn't too seriously injured.

Hinata woke up Akamaru and Kiba, helping him climb to his feet. He didn't complain when she guided him off the field, back towards Konoha. As they were just stepping onto the path, Shino made himself. Even if they couldn't see it, both his teammates could tell the Aburame was faintly smiling at what condition Kiba was in.

Sighing to himself, Kakashi glance over at his two remaining students. They just stood near him, glancing up at him every so often with almost knowing stares. _Okay_, Kakashi thought, _awkward_.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Kurenai glanced over Asuma's hunched shoulder. It was the title that really caught her interest: _Doton: Sarutobi Sandaime Hokage no Jutsu by Uzumaki Naruto._

* * *

Tsunade and Hiashi sat comfortably in the Hyuuga Clan's council room. Though the room was mostly empty, save for the cushions which the councilors used to knee on, the amount of tension in the air made it feel very cramped and unfriendly. 

"I assume you expect me to believe these accusations, Tsunade-sama?" Hiashi asked, his voice colder than usual.

"I don't expect you to believe anything I say," Tsunade said, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "I do expect you to consider the possibilities, however."

As Hiashi closed his eyes to contemplate this bizarre twist, he could see the pieces beginning to fit together. Not too long ago, about the same timeframe that Tsunade-sama was implying, the Hyuuga clan Main Family had sustained a death. It had been the quite talented eldest son of Hyuuga Higyou, had his head completely demolished by a chance run-in with Uchiha Itachi.

The incident was highly classified, no one outside village and clan councils, Jounin and ANBU forces, and Higyou knew the details. At the time, Hiashi had been curious to the events that led up the death. The fact that it was rare for more than two Hyuuga to be assigned to a single mission only intensified his curiosity. The Hyuuga trio that had met the Uchiha had also been due to return to the village several days prior to the death.

They had been missing-in-action for nearly four days.

And why had they gone so far out of their way? The village the incident had occurred near had been more than a fifty miles too far for them to have taken a 'shortcut' back to Konoha.

But now Tsunade was offering a fresh view to the matter. The trio had been assigned a mission from within the clan to assassinate the Uzumaki for humiliating and robbing the clan of its pride. _A very traditionalist view_, Hiashi was forced to admit as suspicions already rose begrudgingly in his mind.

But forcing his suspicions to the back of his mind for later examination, he looked up at Tsunade. The elderly woman sat silently across from him, face solemn and serious. Those soft chocolate-brown eyes that had enthralled many young men for so many years were hard and sharp. She was watching him like a hawk, evaluating his response to the news.

"How do you know that it wasn't I who gave the orders, Tsunade-sama?" Hiashi asked, his face the same empty coldness it always was.

"I don't," she answered, a slight twitch of her lips betrayed the smirk she wanted to put on. "But I do have some good reasons to believe you had no involvement."

"Like?"

"One," she said. "You would never have agreed to this meeting if you suspected that I had an ulterior motive." Hiashi was forced to nod ever-so-slightly to acknowledge her point. "Two, the Hyuuga clan as a whole would've been much more nervous than they were when I arrived. Three, you'd be amazed what the other clan leaders know of your activities."

That comment caught Hiashi slightly off-guard but he quickly hid it. As a clan leader, and a Hyuuga himself, Hiashi sometimes forgot the effects of his clan's actions could have on the village. As well as the other clans, who were use to dealing with the Hyuuga, could be able to predict some of the motives and repercussions of what the Hyuuga did. Certainly if he had ordered the assassination of Uzumaki Naruto, they would've figured out quite quickly the reasons behind it.

Nodding his acknowledgement of the comment, he said, "So what do you hope to gain by visiting me, Tsunade-sama?"

"At best," she said, adjusting her position to renew the blood flow to her legs. "Your cooperation in arresting the person behind this outrage." A small grin broke across her face as she added as a secondhand thought, "and maybe a bit of help with dealing with the village council."

Pausing to consider her words, Hiashi nodded. "And perhaps you could aid me in correcting the flaws in my clan's traditions."

Before she could question him to clarify his answer, the door to the chamber suddenly slid open. Standing in the wide doorway was a majority of the Hyuuga clan council with Hyuuga Higyou standing in the center, giving off the aura of confidence and victory.

Higyou's eyes instantly swept over the pair already in the room. His eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion upon seeing Tsunade but gave no other reaction. There was a very ominous feeling hanging over the group as they entered the room.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hiashi demanded, his voice crisp and sharp. "I said I didn't wish to be disturbed during this meeting."

"A matter of extreme importance has just come to our attention, Hiashi-sama," one of the councilors said as they began taking their seats.

"Would you kindly excuse us, Tsunade-sama?" another asked pointedly. "I believe we may take a while."

Seeing that she was currently sitting in one of their positions, Tsunade quickly rose to her feet to allow the Hyuuga to reclaim his place. But before any of them could feel an air of pride that they'd intimidated their new Hokage out of the room, she spoke up in a honey-sweet voice, "I would be more than honored to discuss the matter with you, Honorable Councilors. While your issues pertain to the clan, my duties include the village as a whole. That includes any problems in your clan."

Tsunade walked over to stand behind Hiashi at the head of the council, arms crossed over her ample chest and her face resolute. They realized that they wouldn't be able to budge her. And they couldn't order her to leave as it was a privilege of the Hokage to sit in on meetings among the various clans' councils.

"Very well," Higyou said, phrasing his tone to sound like he was granting her a favor. Turning to face Hiashi, he jumped headlong into the debate. "Your weakness is disrupting the clan, Hiashi-sama."

"How so?" the infamous impassive Hyuuga head had returned once more.

"You have allowed a Branch member to learn our advanced jutsus," one of the councilors said.

"Neji is very gifted," Hiashi said in his well-known dead tone. "It is only fitting to allow the boy the chance to learn our best jutsus. Only a genius can take our best to even greater heights."

"The boy is gifted," Higyou acknowledged. "But he is highly rebellious. And now we have reason to believe he is spreading our secrets for our enemies to create counterattacks against."

"Which enemies would those be?" Hiashi asked levelly. Before any could answer, Hiashi continued, "As shinobi we must always prepare to be outsmarted and overpowered. It is only natural for someone to come along with a new jutsu that can defeat us. That is why we must adapt and evolve with the world."

"We know your opinions, Hiashi-sama," one of the councilors said. "If we'd follow your lead, we'd have done away with the seal years ago."

"Our great ancestors imposed the seal as a means of separating the inferior blood from ours," said another. "We would be fools to revoke the ways and wisdom of our forefathers."

"And due to your lackluster methods," Higyou said, contempt clear in his voice. "one of those inferiors have learned some of our greatest secrets. He is, even now, teaching those to the de--" he gave Tsunade a speculative glance before continuing. "--to Uzumaki."

There was a short silence as Hiashi and Tsunade both separately eyed the council with distaste and distrust.

"Do you have proof of such accusations?" Hiashi asked.

"My son found the pair battling on Training Ground Seven," Higyou said, his voice cold. "he claims he clearly remembers the Uzumaki saying that he was 'having a lot of fun' as he fought. Neji showed him the Hakke: Rokujuuyon Sho, and the Uzumaki had found a way to overcome it."

"How do you know that this wasn't something else?" Hiashi asked. "How do you know that Neji wasn't fighting Uzumaki for something else? Like trying to reclaim his honor?"

"A Hyuuga shamed is forever condemned to his fate as a failure," one of the Hyuuga said. "And Neji was damned when he was born."

"Neji is a Hyuuga," Hiashi said fiercely. "and as a genius, he will forever seek to improve himself and break free of his cage."

"How poetic," Higyou said with a sneering tone. "However, our point stands. Due to your weak leadership, our clan is suffering and disgraced. It seems only logical to _correct_ the errors made and replace the one responsible with someone _better_ _suited_ to the job."

The gaze that Hiashi sent Higyou was the coldest gaze that any of the councilors had _ever_ seen before. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as a paralyzing silence filled the air.

"The Sentakushi Nou Sakujo no Jutsu is a forbidden jutsu for a reason," Hiashi said, his voice cold as ice. "It is against Hyuuga tradition to choose a new clan head while the current is still living. And finally, to assassinate the Uzumaki is as foolhardy and dangerous as it is illegal."

"Exceptions can and have been made," one of the Hyuuga said. "I believe your family line is one such example, is it not?"

"It is Hyuuga tradition to mind-wipe all Branch members who have broken the law," another said.

"And it would be a public service to do away with the yajuu," Higyou concluded, smirking slightly as his arrogance rose. Under his breath he quietly muttered, "It _almost_ succeeded too…"

A sudden wave of killing desire flared up unexpectedly from behind Hiashi. Tsunade's anger was considerable, as was the oppressive presence she was exerting. Anyone weaker than a Jounin would've quailed under the power.

Upon seeing the look that she was sending him, Higyou realized his completely accidental slip of tongue. It was common knowledge that Naruto was hated, been abused in every way possible, and treated like he'd had a plague. But the one thing that the Sandaime had had no tolerance for was open aggressiveness towards the once-defenseless blonde. The boy had a guard of ANBU watching over him for the first five years of his life, even his orphanage manager had been a retired Jounin.

There have not been any assassination attempts on the boy since shortly after the Kyuubi's sealing. And those first few attempts had been pathetic as they had been predictable, thus no true threat. Higyou had just revealed he had knowledge of something he shouldn't have.

"Would you care to _clarify_ what you mean by that comment, _Hyuuga_-_san_?" Tsunade asked, her voice deceptively calm.

For the first time in a very long time, Higyou's quick wit and fast-thinking brain failed him. He was only able to make weak stutters of protest as he tried to summon up his knowledge of the first attempts. But the details were vague at best. He had little to no defense as he knew she would never believe him should he try to use that excuse.

"Would you care to clarify how you know of the Hyuuga assassins that had been sent after Uzumaki Naruto?" Tsunade demanded, walking a little closer towards the man which caused her killing desire to grow even stronger with the shortened distance separating them.

"That attempt was classified information, known only by Naruto, Jiraiya, and myself," she paused long enough to let the information sink into the councilors minds. "And since you seem to know of it leaves me with two conclusions. One: the Hyuuga participating in the event informed you. But you seem to have failed to inform your clan leader on the occurrence. Or two…"

Her killing desire quickly grew so powerful it could almost have become a palpable thing. The council was silent and staring as Tsunade went in for the kill. "…you were the one to order the assassination."

Before Higyou could offer a response, she turned and faced the council. "By law of the Shodai Hokage, it is illegal to execute or assassinate an active duty shinobi of Konohagakure. To do such an act would be an act of betrayal upon the entire village. Don't you agree, Honorable Councilors?"

The solemn council only nodded in response. Their faces were eerily blank, all eyes focused on either Tsunade or Higyou. They knew where this was going, it had been quite obvious from the moment Tsunade had started forward.

There would be no savior for Higyou. His fate was sealed.

"Therefore," Tsunade was saying. "I know you shall not argue with my judgment of arresting Hyuuga Higyou for attempted assassination…I also believe it would be quite disgraceful for the great Hyuuga clan council to harbor a traitor to our home."

There was no response to her statement. But it was clear whose side they'd taken.

* * *

He was walking slowly down the path back towards Konoha. In all the excitement of returning home that morning, the day had passed by quite quickly. Those back-to-back fights he had with Kiba and Neji had taken longer than one would've thought. A drastic decrease in chakra levels led to severe case of disorientation and staggering on Naruto's part. And his hunger had returned with a vengeance. 

"Naruto!" Sasuke called out as he spotted the blonde in the distance. "Hold on! Where are you going?!"

"Home," the blonde answered, cradling his still-stinging arm. "I'm tired!"

"Where did you learn those jutsus?" the Uchiha demanded as he caught up to the blonde.

"Which ones?" Naruto asked, his irritation rising. He really didn't want to have a conversation on jutsus with the Uchiha.

"Those you used against that Suna Jinchuuriki," Sasuke said, his gaze hard and piercing.

Naruto faltered in mid-step before glancing over at Sasuke. In a level voice, he said, "How do you know he's a Jinchuuriki?"

Huffing at the question, Sasuke said, "It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. _Only_ a demon host can summon that much chakra at our age."

Shivers wound their way up Naruto's body. The way Sasuke was phrasing and emphasizing his statement left little to the imagination. Had he somehow figured out his terrible secret?!

After letting Naruto sort through what he'd said, Sasuke continued, "What was that ball thing and Katon jutsus you used on the bastard?"

Snapping out of his daze, Naruto eyed the Uchiha speculatively. "Why do you want to know?"

"I want to learn them," Sasuke said, trying to ignore the slight sting to his pride for asking that. "They could help me very much with the man I want to kill."

Slowly gauging Sasuke's response to be as thorough as possible in its translation, a small smirk crossed Naruto's face. The smirk grew larger in size as he unexpectedly brought his hands up to form the cross-seal.

When the Kage Bunshin popped into existence, Naruto turned slightly toward it and said in a distinctively teasing voice, "My, my! Did I hear that right? The great Uchiha, the Number One Rookie of the Year, just ask the lowly, humble Uzumaki to learn some of his most personal and best jutsus?"

"Yeah," the clone said, eyeing Sasuke critically. "I think so…I think he's serious about it too."

"Naruto…" Sasuke drawled out, his anger beginning to spike.

"Uh, yeah, he's serious about it," the clone said, staggering away as though it were drunk.

"Do you think we should tell him?" Naruto asked as his own knees began to falter under him.

"Tell him?" the clone repeated, angling his stagger back towards the Uchiha. "I don't see why not." Catching the dark-haired Uchiha and literally hanging from his shoulders, the clone said, "There's nothing he can get from listening how they work or what they're called…"

Sasuke looked critically between Naruto and his clone. If this was some kind of ploy, it was partly working. He couldn't tell if they were being serious with staggering and loss of balance or if they were just playing him for a fool. But he had no inclination to allow a shadow of the boy to be draped over his shoulders.

"I guess not," Naruto consented to his clone's opinion. "Okay, Sasuke-teme, you got a deal!"

Pulling himself free of the clone, Sasuke shoved it over back towards the original. He watched carefully as Naruto held up his palm. For a moment, nothing happened. Then with a grunt of exertion, strands of chakra began spiraling around the palm. Condensing down tightly, they forming a sphere of raging chakra winds.

"This is the Rasengan," Naruto said drowsily. "My pride and joy. Took me six months to make it."

Yawning widely, Naruto failed to notice that Sasuke's gaze had turned distinctively red as he scrutinized the jutsu. After a moment, he released the Rasengan and vainly tried to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"It's a handheld jutsu, isn't it?" Sasuke asked, his eyes darkening. "But the amount of chakra you use in it, is it really necessary?"

"Quite," Naruto said, his head beginning to droop on its own accord. Perhaps he shouldn't have done that Rasen… "Night…Sasuke-chan," he collapsed where he stood, falling asleep before he even hit the ground.

For a few moments, Sasuke just stared down at Naruto. With a sigh, he reached up to perform a handseal. Then a voice spoke up behind him.

"What are you doing?" the voice was highly annoyed, with a drop of genuine curiosity.

Glancing behind him, Sasuke saw…Sasuke. Grunting with a slight smirk, the first Sasuke continued with the handseal. With a gentle mutter, he said, "Kai."

In small burst of smoke, the first Sasuke was replaced with Kakashi. Pulling his headband back down over his Sharingan eye, the man smiled sheepishly at his official prodigy. Okay, this was awkward.

"Yo," the Jounin said, raising his hand in greeting.

Sasuke just continued to stare at the man. Shrugging, Kakashi knelt down a picked up the sleeping boy. Turning back to face Sasuke, Kakashi said, "What do you say to some extra special training later?"

"When?" the Uchiha asked, his eyes lighting up at the prospect.

"How about in two hours?" Kakashi said, as he was turning to walk away. "Usual place, and bring Sakura with you."

"Why?" he asked, his voice and face once again going blank.

"It's time she started getting some serious training too, don't you agree?" was Kakashi's reply. Before Sasuke could answer, the Hatake vanished in a puff of smoke.

Glancing absentmindedly up at the dropping sun, Sasuke just shrugged. At most, they could get in another hour of training in the daylight. Walking back towards where he knew Sakura would be heading, he wondered briefly what her reaction would be.

* * *

It was eerily silent in the snake's den. A silence that most animals would recognize instinctively as that of the kind when a ferocious predator was in the immediate area. All animals would automatically clam up, so as to not draw attention to themselves. It would stay that way until either the predator struck or moved on. 

Such a silence was usually a comforting one to Orochimaru. It showed him that he was respected and feared by all inside the compound. Such respect was something he'd not only come to expect from his subordinates, but require vehemently. At first it was their own fear that kept them silent, but that usually changed to respectful acknowledgement of their leader's desire for the silence.

But as he sat up in the bed he lay in, it only served to make it easier for him reminisce. Back to a time when he was still mostly human, in the early stages of his experiments. When he'd enacted his most diabolical experiment at the time, only to be foiled by one of the few men he actually feared.

One of the few experiments he had almost come so much closer to achieving the perfect body. He was actually in the final stages of the experiment, the body had been nearly ready for possession. Another few hours and he'd have been able to take control and shape it to his liking with no worry about having to overcome any soul inside of it.

Then he'd been betrayed. By his own _apprentice!_

Now, after many years, he'd finally discovered the truth of what had happened that fateful night. And it made sense as to why it had happened, after all the body was perfect for the task that was required of it. But the fact that he hadn't realized the connection sooner only increased his disgust at his own ignorance. The fact that he couldn't reclaim the body now made the discovery even more frustrating.

And with Kabuto still recovering from the near-fatal blow he'd been dealt, the chances of him being able to restart his experiment from scratch was slim. The task required a delicacy that only his right-hand man or himself could muster.

A sharp, burning sting raced through his body, bringing him out of his thoughts. The wounds from both his encounter with Tsunade and the Sandaime's sealing of his arms had proven to be much more severe than either he or Kabuto had originally predicted. If he didn't have the option to take a new body, and very soon, there was a high chance that he'd die.

Thankfully he still _did_ have the opportunity to transfer into another's body. Which meant he'd have to get Sasuke within the next few days if he still hoped to get the Sharingan. But if worst came to worst, he'd have to transfer early and wait another three years!

He could only hope that the Sound Four, the more talented and gifted of the youths he'd enthralled to join him, and successful survivors of various curse seals, would accomplish the mission within the time limit.

Normally he'd not be concerned with their abilities. But after witnessing what the Uchiha's teammate was capable of, he couldn't help but hope that things went as planned. _If only **I **could've gone instead…_

* * *

**(Author's Note)** Sorry it's taken so long. I know I promised early April. But things have been happening recently and both Ultra Sonic and I have been _quite_ busy. 

Well, there you have it. Heh, sorry if you think the 'epic showdown' between Tsunade and the Hyuuga was very anti-climactic. I couldn't help it, that's just what I thought up. I will admit that it could've been much more stressful and tense than it was. Though I have to admit that my first idea was to have giant battle between all the members of the clan. But it struck me that I've only shown that the ones who really care about Naruto's defeat of Neji were the councilors (Higyou). To have an entire clan commit civil war on itself when I've written a serious lacking of disbute and disagreement between the sides would've seemed very out of place to me.

I bet I caught a lot of you by surprise with Kakashi's trick, didn't I? Admit it; few, if any, of you saw that coming! Also, don't bug me about the OOC Naruto in that small scene. I was half asleep as I wrote that scene and have had a serious _lack_ of inspiration to correct it.

For those of you who haven't noticed it yet, I recently added a link to a new picture on my profile page. Drawn by Oukami Youkai. I hope you all look at it, I really like that picture. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for any other additional pictures. A new friend of mine (_ligerjager_ or _huntinghalfbreed_ on DeviantArt) is working on several new ones that sound very promising. And I **_strongly_** recommend you also view huntinghalfbreed's other drawings as well, for many are incredibly well done!

Oh yes. To clarify something for all you. Kakashi didn't copy or steal the Rasengan, especially since he already knows it! If you remember, in my story, the Sharingan is capable of seeing the flow of chakra. So Kakashi revealing the eye only allowed him to see how well Naruto was able to form and maintain the Rasengan.

Next chapter: _A mysterious group of shinobi show themselves to Sasuke in the late hours of the day. What is their purpose and how do they each seem to be much stronger than their frail bodies make them appear? But their goal is clear, bring Sasuke to Orochimaru with the: _Promise of Power.


	32. Promise of Power

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 32--Promise of Power

It had taken a lot of effort.

Never in his entire life had Sasuke faced such a difficult decision; what he was about to request was tremendous.

However, he begrudgingly realized that he didn't have a choice in the matter. The only way he could get stronger was to train with the one he wanted to beat. Kakashi's training was no longer as challenging as it had once been; last night's 'light sparring match' alongside Sakura against their sensei was also included in that category.

Sasuke sat on the sill of the apartment's only window. Judging from the weathered wood, badly chipped paint, and lack of glass, the window had not been used or repaired in years. The apartment itself left much to be desired, not just in terms of repair. The walls were simplistic and bare, save for an out-of-date calendar near a thing that could probably (and I mean this loosely) be called a bed. Resting on the small bedside table were a few photographs.

The one Sasuke was looking for, however, was currently snoring fitfully on the floor, dressed in a light shirt and his boxers. He was wrapped up in a tangle of blankets after seemingly falling out of bed earlier that evening. The fact that the impact hadn't jarred Naruto awake had Sasuke guessing that it must've happened all the time...or he found it much more comfortable on the floor.

This thought caused a small smirk to cross his face. _This_ was his ultimate rival? What a joke! It caused him to wonder how he could've become such a powerful shinobi if this is what he had to come home to.

Shaking his wandering thoughts from his mind, Sasuke dropped silently to the floor. Walking over to Naruto's bedside, he was able to hear the blonde quietly mumble some vague nonsense about an 'ultra-super-sized' with 'miso and shrimp ramen' and 'deluxe for dessert.' The Uchiha had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. _The only things this dobe thinks about are jutsus and ramen!_

Prodding the blonde somewhat roughly, Sasuke loudly said, "Wake up, Uzumaki! We've got a mission."

Almost instinctively, the blonde reached under the bed and yanked out a kunai. Pulling his foot back quickly, Sasuke watched bemused as his teammate tried in vain to cut off whatever object had been trying to rouse him.

"Later…Iruka-sensei…" the blonde mumbled, clearly still quite asleep. "Me sleepy…another ten minutes…" Then he promptly returned to snoring dreamily.

Ignoring a strong urge to kick the blonde, Sasuke considered his next move. He needed Naruto in a good mood; it would make convincing him much easier. It was that alone that had Sasuke reign in his instincts with a good dose of self-control.

Now for the sixty-four thousand ryo question: what would be a good motivator to get a reluctant teammate out of bed?

The answer was surprisingly simple.

Sasuke quietly stepped back – prepping for what was about to happen – and yelled, "Naruto!! _Free ramen!!_"

It took only a second's breath before Naruto erupted from the blankets. His eyes were wide and eager, saliva dripping freely down his open mouth. The blonde was actually in the process of pulling his orange and black sweater on over his head when he noticed Sasuke. The Uchiha stood over towards the still-locked door, wearing a knowing smirk.

"About time you got up," Sasuke growled as his face returned to its usual passiveness. "It's almost six o'clock."

Naruto just stared at him for a moment in confusion.

Then he realized the obvious.

Naruto narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Get out of my apartment, teme!"

"No," Sasuke snidely retorted. "You've got an A-rank mission to do today."

"A-rank?" Naruto asked out of suspicion. "What are you talking about?"

"Meet me at Training Ground Seven and you'll find out," Sasuke said, a deadly seriousness in his voice. "I'll see you there in an hour."

Sasuke promptly vanished in a whirl of wind and leaves, leaving an annoyed and irritated Naruto. Growling to himself, Naruto climbed lightly back into his bed and tried to get back to sleep.

However, despite his best attempts, he couldn't reenter the realm of bliss and dreams. _Damn Sasuke-teme_…

* * *

Three hours passed. 

Naruto found the Uchiha leaning against a very familiar training post, but what caught his eyes most was the very irritated glare he received. No problem; the blonde returned it with his own.

It was then that he noticed a change in the Uchiha's attire. Sasuke was once again wearing the black shirt and shorts, complete with the bandages and black leather straps tied to his forearms and shins. _What's with the sudden change? ...Oh well, it's not important_.

"You're late," Sasuke growled as soon as he entered hearing range. "You better not start taking after Kakashi."

"Ha! Like I'd want to!" Naruto snapped back. "Besides Sakura would skin my hide."

The amusement behind that statement was only due the fact that they strongly suspected that she would. However her attitude may have changed towards the blonde, the one thing that hadn't was her severe dislike for a lack of punctuality. It was probably thanks to Kakashi that her appreciation for being on time had grown so much.

Their humor died quickly as they returned to staring at each other…a habit all rivals in all of the worlds share.

"Sasuke-teme?" Naruto said, unable to hold back his reluctant curiosity.

"What?" the raven-haired boy asked, fidgeting with the bandages on his arms.

"Why did you petition Obaasan for an A-rank training mission with you?" He still couldn't believe it. Why the hell would _Sasuke_, of all people, 'degrade' himself to training with him? It didn't make sense. But nevertheless, the fact of the matter was that Sasuke – thanks to his clan's bank accounts – had paid for that very mission.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sasuke asked, turning a sharp gaze at the blonde.

"Depends on what's supposed to be 'obvious,'" Naruto retorted.

"I'll be learning your limits," Sasuke said, his voice as hard as steel. "Then I'll know what to exploit when we fight."

"Heh," Naruto couldn't help but smirk. "That's a little low, even for you…If you wanted to fight, you should've just said so."

"No," Sasuke growled, his anger growing slightly. "You have…abilities. If we fought now, I'd lose…but you _always_ knew that, _didn't_ you?"

Wincing at Sasuke's accusing tone, Naruto's earlier smirk slipped off. The look that Sasuke was giving him…was a little unsettling.

"Then again," Sasuke continued, his tone growing considerably sharper. "I _never_ was the _best_ in the class, was I? No, you'd surpassed me years ago, _hadn't_ you?!"

He stared uncertainly at Sasuke. The Uchiha's eyes were flickering between black and red constantly, as though he couldn't decide if he wanted to fight the blonde or not. With how angry Sasuke was getting and his prank earlier that morning, Naruto wasn't in much of a mood to bolster up the wounded ego of his teammate through battle. Throwing caution to the wind, Naruto began talking. "Not necessarily," he said slowly. "My improvement only really started about a year ago. You were the best in about everything since the beginning. Even if I hadn't held back, you still would've been the top."

"_About_ everything?"

"Well, you never really were at my level of stealth," Naruto said, his grin returning.

Sasuke paused to consider that statement. It was true…to some degree.

Stealth had been one of the few subjects he'd not put as much of an effort into as he knew he could've. At the time, he'd been focusing more on perfecting the Goukakyuu and his aim with kunai and shuriken. With all of the pranks and escapes he knew Naruto had been getting into back then, it was possible that the boy was speaking the truth.

"Hey, I got an idea!" Naruto said. "Let's make you your own jutsu!"

"What?" Sasuke asked, snapping out of his thoughts. "Why?"

"Aw, come on!" the blonde grinned teasingly. "I've got a boatload of original ones, and Sakura's just made her own, you're the only one who hasn't tried it yet!"

That thought had Sasuke raising an eyebrow. "Why should I?"

"One: it's a lot of fun!" Naruto said, raising a finger with each point. "Two: it opens your eyes to the ways of using chakra. Three: it's always a good idea to have an ace up the sleeve for a tight situation."

"Like you always do?" Sasuke demanded, his temper rising again. He found himself being irrationally jealous of the fact that Naruto always seemed to be prepared for any situation thanks to his jutsus. It always left Sasuke looking like he was no better than a cadet at the Academy!

"Yup!" Naruto said cheerfully.

Sasuke nearly lost control of his temper and attacked.

He was certainly considering it, but he still had one last question. The answer could appease him, while simultaneously stalling their inevitable battle for a little while longer. And considering Naruto's idea, Sasuke had to admit that he did have some several good points.

"Why do you want to help me?"

Pausing, Naruto stared straight at Sasuke, his face oddly solemn. "I _don't_ want to. But whether I like it or not, I'm stuck with you on Team Seven. And with how you are, you're probably just dying to learn how to do some of my jutsus. Aren't you?"

Sasuke just glared.

"So the way I see it, making you your own jutsu would be the only way to get you off my back," Naruto said as a smirk began to creep back across his face. "Rather obvious, isn't it? Besides 'training' is what you're trying to bribe me into doing with you, isn't it?"

Sasuke just continued to glare. He really hated that idea of his. _Hated it!_

But it was the only one that he was pretty sure had a good chance at success. Still, the fact that he knew Naruto would never let him live it down was as annoying as it was predictable.

Fortuntely, he had his own material to use against Naruto. "Hai," he said, straightening himself and smirking proudly. "But you'd probably train Hinata-san for _free_, wouldn't you?"

Naruto's face colored instantly, much to Sasuke's gratification. It was enough to lessen his anger, if only temporarily.

"Th-that has n-n-nothing to do with this!" Naruto managed to stutter out.

_Heh, point for me,_ Sasuke thought amusedly. "You do realize her father would never allow you to date with her." He crossed his arms out of satisfaction. "Especially not a filthy, shunned orphan like yourself."

Naruto knew what Sasuke was trying to pull. He knew.

But he couldn't help but fall for it anyway.

Sasuke had struck deeply with those words. He was telling him that because of who and what he was, he'd be restrained – no matter how unfair or irrational it was – from doing what he wanted and reaching whatever goals he set for himself.

And Naruto _hated_ it when people tried to tell him he couldn't do something!

"_Yeah?!_" Naruto yelled, his face scrunching together out of anger. "What would _you_ know?! The only thing you're good at is brooding over something that happened in the _past!!_ At least _I _look towards the _future!_"

Now _Naruto _had hit a tender spot.

Despite what his new goal was, Sasuke instantly found himself drawing back to an old and familiar mind frame: one where he defended his family vehemently and wished for nothing more than the power to avenge them.

"Don't talk about things that you know nothing of!" Sasuke said, more of a growl than a yell. His dark eyes flashed a bright red, his Sharingan finally activating, ready for what was to come. "My family was _all I had!!_"

"Then make a _new_ one!" Naruto yelled, backing up and sliding into a fighting stance. "It really isn't very hard!! Oh wait, I _forgot!_ You need to have everything handed to you on a _silver platter! _You never work for _anything_ you _want_ or _have!!_"

The ice was now and truly broken.

"_**NARUTO!!!**_"

"_**SASUKE!!!**_"

They struck.

* * *

Little more than a week on the job, and she still had a mountain of paperwork to go through.Even with assistants, the pace of finishing the task was slow and nerve-grinding. 

Not for the first time, Tsunade wondered again if she could put in for early retirement. _Whoever invented legal paperwork deserved castration._

But then again, that meant she would have to choose someone as Rokudaime Hokage. She wanted that person to be Naruto, but he still wasn't ready for the position (not even close!). So she'd just have to persevere and wait.

Entering the office, Shizune glanced up at her mentor. Unlike previous times, Tsunade-sama was actually awake. The elder woman was standing in front of the window, gazing out across the village.

"Tsunade-sama," she said, feeling a sense of dread. "Can I speak to you about something?"

"What is it?" she asked, turning to face Shizune.

"I just heard some…unsettling news about Naruto and Sasuke," she said. "You authorized a mission request from the Uchiha for Naruto to train with him."

"That is correct," Tsunade said, her lips pressed in a grim line. This was mostly due to the fact that she was torn between smiling and frowning.

"Why?" Shizune's feeling of unease escalated now that it had been confirmed. "Naruto hates Sasuke, especially after he learned one of his jutsus. You know how Naruto is about those!"

"That is precisely why I authorized it," Tsunade said, earning a disbelieving gawk from Shizune. "The fact that they hate each other increases the chances they'll fight. Naruto and Sasuke are two very proud shinobi. They will not allow themselves to be slandered without giving as much as they get. When that happens, they'll expose the other's bad sides."

"And that's good because…?"

"They will know that the other is right," Tsunade had a small, reluctant smile cross her face. "And then they will work to prove the other wrong. Pride is as predictable as it is dangerous."

"You set them up to fight the other's pride in hopes they'll work to correct the other's faults?" That sounded almost wishfully too simple. "What if you only made the situation worse?"

Sighing sadly, Tsunade's gaze turned into one of grim resignation. "Then we're all going to experience some bad headaches in the near future."

* * *

"Katon!" Sasuke inhaled deeply as he reached the Tiger handseal. "Goukakyuu no Jutsu!!" 

A furious gout of flame sprung out of Sasuke's mouth as he descended to the ground. The army of blonde Kage Bunshins that were charging him didn't stand a chance against it. With cries of pain and small puffs of smoke, they were destroyed. But before Sasuke could even relish in his small victory, there came a shout from inside the fire.

"Enmaku no Jutsu!" A sudden cloud of smoke enveloped the flames. Without oxygen to fuel the fire, the jutsu was dissipated quickly, only adding to the smokescreen.

Landing roughly on the charred grass, Sasuke looked up and glared into the smoke. His sharp Sharingan eyes could barely see the single chakra signature that stood in the center. That had been a clever move, using a simple smokescreen to overcome his fire. He'd have to be careful about using his Katon jutsus from now on since they always consumed a good portion of his chakra.

A quick gust of wind washed the smokescreen away, allowing the two combatants to see each other once more. The two boys glared furiously at each other, panting due to exhaustion. This fight had been going on for nearly ten minutes and they quickly realized that they were almost tied even. Sasuke's superior strength, speed, and skill with taijutsu gave him the advantage in close range combat.

But Naruto was able to evade, counter, or otherwise negate all of Sasuke's long range attacks, which were mostly Katon jutsus. The reason for Naruto's easy evasion was largely thanks to Kage Bunshin, the Kaze Tate, and even the Doryuuheki.

However, they were going nowhere…and fast. Although they both enjoyed the fact that they could finally beat some sense into each other (literally), they were beginning to get annoyed. This fight was taking too long, and they would eventually attract unwanted attention.

As for the kind of attention they would be getting…well, it certainly would be the unexpected kind.

For at that moment, four outsiders were watching them.

So preoccupied were Naruto and Sasuke that they failed to notice the chakra signatures of the four children dress in nearly identical outfits. One feature they all shared was a curse mark…the seal bound to them by Orochimaru himself.

The blue-haired youth called Sakon watched the rivalry battle with great interest. _Hmm…my brother and I specialize in Taijutsu – no thanks to our special 'tactic' – but that Uchiha brat is no slouch at all. Impressive…just as Orochimaru-sama predicted._

But there was a problem.

Sasuke was supposed to be the prodigy of his clan and the best of the rookie genin. Yet from what he was seeing, it must've been either exaggerated or things had changed. "That blonde brat's certainly giving the Uchiha a run for his money."

"I can't believe Orochimaru-sama is interested in that pathetic shit-bag," a red-haired girl muttered darkly. She watched disinterestedly, her dark eyes full of contempt, as the Uchiha was once again surrounded by an army of Kage Bunshin. "Why do we have to take that bastard anyway?"

"Tayuya-san," the large, rotund teen with orange hair said patiently. "You really shouldn't cuss like--"

"Shut it, stinking fat-ass," Tayuya snapped.

"Tayuya. Jiroubou. Be quiet," Sakon whispered, his ears twitching as he caught the sound of a twig snapping. "Someone's coming."

The four Oto-nin quickly hid; it wouldn't do to have their presence discovered before they were able to reach the Uchiha. Failure would make their master very disappointed.

And a disappointed Orochimaru meant a one-way ticket to oblivion.

* * *

Tatewaru and Chidori soared toward each other. 

Hatake Kakashi took one look at the situation and instantly threw himself into the midst of it. Grabbing the outstretched hands of both Genin, he whirled around – using their own momentum to aid his spin – and sent them flying into the tree line.

Sasuke grimaced as he sliced through the trees, thankful that his Chidori was still activated; otherwise, he'd be far worse for the wear. Skidding to a stop a short distance away, the three trees he'd been forced to cut through toppled over, groaning loudly as they fell. Despite himself, Sasuke couldn't suppress the smirk of satisfaction at the destruction that he'd caused.

Quickly composing himself, he leapt over the trees and glared fiercely at his sensei. How _dare_ he interfere!

"Hatake-kokuzoku!" Naruto screamed, rage clear in his voice as he pulled his arm out of a tree trunk. "_Why'd you do that?!_"

Glancing over at the tree his teammate had just extracted himself from, Sasuke was forced to do a double-take as disbelief flood his veins. The destruction that he'd caused was a pale comparison to Naruto's.

The tree suddenly collapsed and revealed the destruction behind it; for nearly a hundred meters beyond was a scene that looked as though a lunatic lumberjack had just swept through. Branches and limbs were sliced clean off. Bark had been scraped off of trees in chunks. The unfortunate ones that were located in the heart of the rampaging chakra winds had been reduced to little more than firewood.

Completely ignoring Sasuke's gawk, Naruto faced his former sensei with a deadly glare. "We were only training! Who asked you to butt in?!"

"Training, eh?" Kakashi said, his tone bland and dispassionate as he watched his orange-clad student cradled his arm. "I'd say you two were getting a little too heated up for it to have been 'training.'"

"Then it's a good thing we didn't ask you your _opinion_!" Naruto snapped, flinching as another pulse of pain raced through his arm. _Damn, it still hasn't healed from yesterday!_ The true extent of the Tatewaru's power was amazing…but that battle with Neji had been a little more exhausting than he had thought (oh yeah, and Kiba too…)._ Note to self, only use the Tatewaru in emergencies_. "I asked why you interfered, kokuzoku!"

Sighing to himself, Kakashi felt a slight bit of despair settle upon him. _So Naruto's still angry about what I did a month ago_. This would only make the boy even harder to understand, let alone control.

Turning to face his other student, he found himself on the receiving end of another patented Uchiha glare. _Huh. Both are of the same opinion for once?_ That might've been more amusing to Kakashi had he not seen them charge each other with their most powerful jutsus. "Why are you so obsessed with your superiority complex, Sasuke?" he asked, ignoring Naruto who had turned and stalked off sulking. "The level of that Chidori you used isn't an appropriate jutsu to be used on a comrade. Were you trying to kill Naruto?"

Sasuke only continued to glare at his sensei. That battle had just started getting interesting! They were both getting serious, finally charging with everything they had. They each wanted to know who was better, once and for all.

But it would seem that fate wouldn't allow them the chance this time.

Scowling one last time, Sasuke turned to leave as well.

Until he felt something grab his feet that is.

The next instant he found himself in a disturbingly familiar position, pulled neck-deep into the earth and unable to move. _Kakashi must've used Kage Bunshin earlier_, he realized, growling as he tried to free himself. _I hate this jutsu!_

Movement from above drew his attention. Kakashi stood above him, much like in their genin test. Kneeling down in front of the genin, Kakashi stared down at him with a sharp, penetrating gaze.

"What's the meaning of this?" Sasuke snapped. He was far from being a good mood anymore and this situation certainly wasn't helping. "Get me out!"

"Sorry," Kakashi said, not sounding very apologetic. "But you'd probably run off if I didn't do this. You never listen when I start lecturing…"

If he'd not been in his current position, Sasuke probably would've smirked at that statement.

"Sasuke, do you know what is it that you seek anymore?" Kakashi asked slowly. He didn't want to do this…but he had to know.

Sasuke had recently changed…slightly, but a change nonetheless. Where he once brooded, he was now training. Normally, that'd be a positive…but the anger and jealousy he'd seen in the boy during the last few times they'd gotten to train together hinted at the fact that it wasn't just for revenge of the Uchiha anymore. The anger Sasuke had displayed through his moves and roars in battle…were too fresh to be just for his long-sought battle against Itachi.

Perhaps revenge of a different sort? At someone else, instead of Itachi?

"Do you seek to ensure your place as the 'best of the rookies'?" he asked, earning a deeper glare from the boy. "You do realize that you already are, right?"

"_Ensure?_" the boy repeated, drawing out the syllables. "So you knew Naruto was stronger than me as well?"

Kakashi was quiet for a moment as he realized just what Sasuke's goal was. _Ah ha…_

"Only in the fields of stealth and chakra does he surpass you, Sasuke…call it a gift. Naruto's chakra reserves…at the moment, they probably rank at high Jounin due to his personal methods of training. You do, however, possess the ability to acquire new ninjutsu faster than he can. You can predict his moves thanks to your Sharingan, and you're many times faster. So, overall, you are the better shinobi."

"A gift?" Sasuke drawled again. "Heh, I thought it was thanks to the _Kyuubi_ that he was so strong."

For a moment, there was absolute silence between them.

Kakashi, in all honesty, was not surprised that Sasuke had figured it out. After all, he had been present when Naruto had destroyed the Ichibi during the invasion. The Uchiha would have to have been blind and dumb to not figure it out. Yet to hear those words out loud couldn't stop him from impulsively widening an eye. "So, you wish to surpass a Jinchuuriki in full power." Kakashi stated. "You do realize that even if you lived a thousand lifetimes, you'd never acquire the power of even the Three-Tailed Bijuu. So frankly, there's no chance you'll be able to beat Naruto should he ever be able to summon the Kyuubi's youki again."

After all, the Kyuubi was the greatest and most powerful of the Bijuu.

Sasuke just scowled more.

He knew that Kakashi spoke the truth. He _KNEW _it. After all, the only person to have ever battled a bijuu alone and emerge victorious had been an incomprehensibly powerful old man…and that had been a thousand years ago. And the aforementioned Bijuu had only been the Nibi, the Two Tails. The man's name had long been forgotten since then, but his deed was still immortalized as a legend.

"Then again," Kakashi said, smiling all of a sudden. "I think it is a wonderful thing that you've finally found yourself a worthy rival here in Konoha. Now you can accurately gauge your strength. Is this not true?"

Sasuke froze for a moment. He hadn't considered that.

But now, as he looked back on it, he saw the truth of Kakashi's words. Before, he'd been training with the purpose to kill 'that man'…but he didn't have a way of knowing just how good he was. To compensate, Sasuke always tried to outdo his own achievements continuously.

But now…he had found someone to fight against. Someone he knew had enormous potential when he decided to use it. A person he wasn't even sure he could beat anymore. He _had_ found himself a worthy rival!

"However," Kakashi said sternly. "That still doesn't excuse your use of the Chidori in a battle against your teammate. You know why I taught that jutsu to you. To protect those who have become precious to you against those who wish to do them harm. Only then can you bring out the true power of the Chidori."

Beneath him, Sasuke felt something grab him under the shoulders. With a jerk, he was hauled out of the earth by the same Kage Bunshin that had dragged him under. The clone disappeared as Sasuke brushed dirt and rubble off of his body.

"Kakashi," Sasuke said solemnly. "Why am I always too weak to get the thing I want the most?"

Studying Sasuke's expression, Kakashi let out a sigh. This question he had been anticipating for quite some time now. Sasuke must have begun wondering if there were other ways to achieve his goals and methods of attaining power faster. He must've wanted some kind of reassurance that he was doing things the right way.

"I can't answer that for you, Sasuke," Kakashi said, seriously. "But I can give you my opinion on the matter…I think it's because not even you know what it is you want the most. You have only a destination, but no clear path to follow. I think you're 'weak' because you have never put your whole body and soul into achieving _one, single goal_."

Sasuke glanced up at him in confusion, his expression that of youthful innocence. Despite his dark past and unclear future, he was still as much a child as many of the other genin.

It made Kakashi mentally curse Itachi for what he had done.

"Let's take Naruto for example," Kakashi said. "We all know what he dreams to become: Hokage. And he must believe that to do so, he must be the absolute best, coupled with the respect of every shinobi in Konoha. So he develops his own personal jutsus to use when he fights. He can catch his opponents off guard, win the battle, and earn others' respect by his inventiveness. And the more he continues to do so, the greater the chance will become that he _will_ be chosen as the next Hokage."

Turning to leave, Kakashi finished his lecture by saying. "I guess all that's left for you to do to become truly strong is decide which goal you wish to achieve and follow it through to the bitter end…" He turned back, gazing quietly at Sasuke, visualizing the curse seal in his mind. "Think about it carefully, Sasuke."

The man vanished without another word.

Sasuke just sat down to think, ignoring the fact that he could faintly hear Naruto now yelling vulgar obscenities at Kakashi farther down the road towards Konoha. He had a lot he needed to sort out.

But because of his racing thoughts, Sasuke failed to notice that he was still being observed by the Oto-nin hidden in the undergrowth.

"I think we should wait until night," Kidomaru said quietly, his multiple arms tense. "It'll be easier to sneak around the village then."

"Doesn't really matter when we do it now," Sakon pointed out. "He's obviously confused about something. If we strike now, before he can make a decision, it'll make our job much easier…besides, Ukon and I are getting angsty for a good, old-fashioned beat-down."

"Quit running your mouth, you fairy!" Tayuya growled. She was bored out of her mind and Sakon's boasting always grated on her nerves. He could be so self-loving sometimes it was sickening!

"Tayuya-san," Jiroubou said automatically. "Girls shouldn't say that sort of…"

"Fuck off, fat-ass," she snapped, ignoring his disapproving glare.

The four Oto-nin retreated deeper into the wood without another word, waiting for the opportune time to strike.

* * *

Rock Lee stood on the balcony of the hospital veranda, gazing into the twilight sky, sun shining as brightly as he when fully empowered by the Fire of Youth. Oh, if only he felt so youthful now…his suffering would be lessened! 

In all his life, Lee had never had to make a more difficult decision than he did now.

Surgery to remove the bone fragments from his nervous system.

A fifty percent success rate.

Failure meant certain death.

But he was young and still had so much to do in life. How could he gamble on his life?!

Neji would've said it was his fate, that his destiny was sealed when he was born. Because of his severe handicap, Lee had devoted his life to the one thing that he was still capable of doing: taijutsu. He had taken his handicap and tried to turn it into his greatest strength.

And he had been nearly successful.

Yet, when it came down to it, he had to wonder. If he'd been able to use chakra, or even sense it, would he have been able to tell the difference of that Suna Bunshin and the real Gaara? He most certainly wouldn't have been forced to use his Omote Renge, or at the very least the Ura Renge, in that fight. Then he might've been able to dodge the fatal strike that had ruined his arm and leg.

His luck in life had been horrible due to his inability to sense chakra…should he dare tempt fate on this fifty-fifty chance of success or failure? Gai-sensei had strongly recommended that he should.

But this was one of the few times that Lee hesitated to follow his mentor's suggestion.

If there was one thing that Gai and Lee believed in, it was that the Fire of Youth was a phoenix; should there ever be a force so great that it could smother their fires, they would come back to life stronger than ever through sheer force of will and devotion to one's dream.

But was the force that was trying to smother his fire too great for even his determination to overcome?

He didn't know. And it was scaring him.

He stared out over the small pond solemnly. The waning sunlight and rising moon were casting a breath-taking array of colors across the sky, reflected in the clear waters perfectly. Lee watched as colors clashed across the surface, gradually fading into the subdued purples, blues, and blacks.

The interchanging colors of the water reflected the trauma of emotions that were flashing through his mind. He fiercely wished to believe that just once, just _once_, his luck would be with him and allow him to survive the operation, emerging stronger than ever. But his logical side was downplaying those hopes with cold facts. Gradually his fires of determination and passion died down, becoming little more than embers.

What should he do?

Looking down upon a flower with large petals that grew nearby, he made his decision. "If I pick an even number of petals, I will accept the operation. If I don't, I will…do three hundred push-ups on my good hand!"

A small flame of his usual passion began to rise up from the ashes.

* * *

Haruno Sakura found Naruto at Ichiraku Ramen Shop once again, eating his usual fifteen bowls. His expression was subdued, there was a certain far away look in his eyes. Before her very eyes, Sakura watched as Naruto's distracted hand slowly lowered some noodles back into the broth. 

What could possibly be on his mind that would have him so distracted?

Had there been simpler things on her mind, Sakura might've believed that he was reliving his little 'accident' with Hinata-san. But she noticed that his eyes were far too serious for it to have been that. A month ago she would've been amazed that she'd noticed such a small thing as that.

Had she somehow grown able to see through his infamous mask? No…that wasn't it. She had only grown more aware of subtle gestures of a human's face and emotions thanks to her recent genjutsu training. Whatever the reason, she could see his troubled gaze and it did little to settle her own worries.

"Naruto?" she said quietly to not disturb him too much.

Despite her desire to be considerate, he still managed to flinch as he was jerked out of his thoughts. His sudden movement caused him to jostle his bowl of ramen enough to spill some of it. Distractedly wiping the cooling broth from the countertop, Naruto glanced over at her. "What's up, Sakura?" he asked cheerily with a semi-false foxy grin. "Want some ramen?"

"Naruto, I need to tell you something," Sakura said quietly, her face was sad and her tone was worried. "It's about Sasuke-kun."

"What is it?" Naruto asked, instantly serious.

"I-I think he might be in trouble," she said hesitantly.

"Like how?"

"You don't remember what happened in the Forest of Death, do you?" she asked, somehow guessing. At his slow shaking of his head, she continued, "Remember that Kusa-nin you fought? It was Orochimaru."

Naruto's eyes widened as he absorbed that information. "After he beat you, he fought with Sasuke-kun. Sasuke was doing really well against him, I thought he had won when he hit him with the Ryuka no Jutsu. But Orochimaru just got back up and put a strange seal on Sasuke's neck before he left." She shuddered at the memory of seeing Sasuke with the curse seal activated. "When you two woke up, I think that seal took control of him," her voice was quieter now. Even Naruto's insane hearing abilities could barely understand what she was saying. "It turned him into a monster…it scared me."

Slowly, painfully, vague memories returned to Naruto of that time. He had been overcome with fury at the man who had so thoroughly beaten him. Even in his dreams the man had been there, as if taunting him. And just at the point that he thought he couldn't take it anymore, Naruto woke up with a red-hot youki rushing through his chakra coils. But where the man had long since vanished, the Oto-nin team had appeared and had hurt Sakura.

It was there that the memories became jumbled and cloudy. But he did clearly remember Sakura clinging to a Sasuke covered in strange flame-like markings, begging for them to stop fighting. It was the shock of seeing her tears and the realization that his rage had clouded his judgment that separated Naruto from the mind-controlling youki. The loss of power had knocked him unconscious again. Yet when he awoke again, Sasuke had returned to normal so Naruto had just shrugged off the strange-looking Sasuke as a hallucination.

But it had been no hallucination after all.

"So that's what happened to him," Naruto said just as quietly as Sakura. He would need to think about what this could mean later. Turning back to Sakura, he felt an unsettling feeling inside his stomach as he said, "Why are you telling me this?"

Sakura had to close her eyes. She didn't want to see the expression that Naruto was going to have when she told him. "I'm sure you know that ever since you left, Sasuke has been training very, very hard…I think he wants to beat you more than anything else now."

"I know," Naruto said, nodding.

"Well, one day I saw him training and…he was using that seal again," she paused to let the news sink in. "And I think he's been doing it for a while now."

Naruto was silent, staring down blankly upon his half-eaten ramen. He had thought something was wrong with Sasuke. During their fight, Naruto had noticed that Sasuke had been moving a bit awkwardly. Like he was used to moving at far greater speeds, wielding higher amounts of chakra. There had even been slight, almost unnoticeable, grimaces of pain or irritation on his face every time he tried to use a jutsu. "I see," he said quietly, finally understanding. It had just clicked in his mind what Sakura was trying to say. "You're afraid that he'll try to find Orochimaru to learn how to use that seal…you're afraid he'll leave and never come back."

"Hai," Sakura said, looking up at his serious expression.

"Sakura, have you told anyone else this?" Naruto asked.

She shook her head. "I wanted to tell Kakashi-sensei, but I haven't had the opportunity yet."

"Don't tell anyone else," Naruto said, a clear demand in his voice. She couldn't help but stare at him in surprise. "I promise that Sasuke won't leave. As long as I'm his rival, and you're his girlfriend, he'll never want to leave Konoha."

This statement brought a fierce blush to Sakura's face. Had things changed so much between her and Sasuke that even Naruto could look at her and call her his girlfriend now?

Had that statement been uttered back at the Academy, Sakura would be going off to brag to Ino.

Instead, she settled for a small smile as Naruto happily returned to eating his now cold ramen.

* * *

Sasuke hadn't moved for the last several hours, his right leg dangling over the edge of a very thick tree branch. The moon was high in the sky now, the darkness of night finally taking its claim on the world. Yet he had scarcely noticed the time go by, for he was too absorbed in his own thoughts. 

However, he didn't fail to notice the four silhouettes that suddenly took form in the moonlight. With his back still to the tree that he had been lounging against, the four shinobi landed in front of him like they were trying to block off any escape route. This, among other things, put Sasuke instantly on guard as he stood up.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, far from being in a pleasant mood. He had fought Naruto mostly to a stalemate earlier, only to be interrupted and then lectured by Kakashi who had given him a little too much to think about. What he wanted was to lay back and relax, but the conflicting emotions and desires in him were preventing it. This led to him being extremely irritated. And, by the looks on the faces of the four uniformed shinobi in front of him, he could tell his mood was about to get much worse.

"The Sound Four," the six-armed boy to his immediate right said quite proudly. "Kidomaru."

"Jiroubou," the bulky one that stood next to first said, in an almost humble tone.

"Sakon," the scrawny blue-haired boy said snidely, a small smirk pulling at his lips.

"Tayuya," the red-haired girl said. Her expression solemn, like she'd resigned herself to an inescapable conclusion.

Without another word, the newly-named Sakon lunged at Sasuke as the others leapt into the air. Blocking the teenager's punch, Sasuke leapt up and rolled over the boy's back. As he did this, he sensed the presence of another rushing in. Ducking his body to the ground, Sasuke continued his roll; the six-armed Kidomaru was unable to react in time as the Uchiha went between his legs. Steadying himself on the tree branch behind Kidomaru with one leg, Sasuke viciously kicked the boy's unprotected shoulder blades.

As Kidomarou collapsed, gagging from the sudden pain, Tayuya and Jiroubou rushed Sasuke simultaneously. Dodging around the kunoichi's punch, he hooked his arm in the loops of the girl's belt-rope. Whirling around her back at very impressive speeds, he yanked her off her feet as he kicked Jiroubou's knee joint. With extreme ease, he threw Tayuya into Jiroubou; the force of her impact into the bulky boy was enough to send them flying towards their two teammates who were just recovering.

They crashed into each other, knocking up a dust cloud. As Sasuke leapt down towards the ground to get closer, he felt their presences suddenly shift and reappear behind him. He didn't need to wait for the smoke to clear to know that they'd all used Kawarimi. Glancing over his shoulder, Sasuke felt his bad mood increase as he spotted them. None of them had so much as a scratch on them.

And Sakon's snide sneer only turned Sasuke's mood darker. _No wounds…how?_

As he turned to face them, his eyes flashed red as his Sharingan activated. But as they did, he noticed something strange about them. His vision, while the familiar crisp and clear eyesight equivalent to that of a hawk, was normal, it felt different. His eyes felt strangely warm with a slight irritation in the retina. _What's going on?_

If he'd had the time, Sasuke would've realized instantly what was happening. After all, he'd felt this sensation before. But, as it was, he had to ignore it in favor of facing down the shinobi that had spiked his temper.

"You caught me at a bad time," he said, his voice little more than a growl. "If you want more, I won't hold back."

"Tsk, stop yapping like a wimpy dog…" Sakon said in a voice that mirrored Sasuke's. "Let's go."

For just a moment, the two sides stared at the other. Then Sasuke and Sakon sprung forward. Sakon, for all his arrogance and pride, knew his body's natural limits. If this fight came to taijutsu match, which he knew all Uchiha specialized in, he would be hard-pressed to win. But with the added power of the Juin Jutsu, he knew he could beat the Uchiha without even using a half of his power. But when he saw Sasuke's eyes, he faltered ever so slightly.

Six tomoe, three in each eye, glared back at him.

His Sharingan has evolved already?! But Kabuto-san and Orochimaru-sama said that he was nowhere **near** having that happen yet!

His faltered attack cost him a painful punch to the face.

Sakon threw out a forceful kick automatically, only to have it dodged. Sasuke ducked under the kick and nimbly twirled around Sakon's back. He sent his own kick up at the blue-haired bugle that was growing out of the boy's shoulders. Hitting it powerfully, the hair shifted just enough to reveal a second face on it. But the eyes were closed, clearly sleeping.

The extra head was jerked up and slammed into the back of Sakon's head. The impact jarred the face awake as Sakon took several unsteady steps forward, cradling his pounding cranium.

"What the hell's going on?" the second face demanded, looking around and quickly spotted Sasuke. "Hey, you're that Uchiha-teme."

Despite how easy he was finding this battle to be, thanks to what he now realized was his evolved Sharingan, that statement struck a nerve in Sasuke. In any other scenario, he'd have wondered why this guy had two heads or why the other guy had six arms. But now now. His Sharingan-enhanced glare upon the face was the fiercest he'd ever produced in his life.

"Nobody calls me that," he said slowly, killing intent slipping out. If there was ever a time he was glad to not have anyone he knew around, it was when his next statement came out of his mouth involuntarily. "Nobody but Naruto!"

Putting his hands into the tora seal, Sasuke took a deep breath. Ever since he'd first seen Naruto do this little trick, he'd been yearning to attempt it himself. He'd spent many hours those first few weeks trying to figure out how the blonde had been able to do it. When he'd discovered the simple truth, it had made him laugh then. Because the answer had been so simple, he'd figured that only a dobe could've discovered the easiest ways to do everything.

What he blew out of his mouth was his own 'improved' version of…

"Enmaku no Jutsu!"

As the smokescreen enveloped them, Sakon and Ukon were both looking around for the elusive Uchiha. But the smoke was so dense that they couldn't see their hands three inches from their faces!

"Can you see him?" Ukon asked, seriously considering removing himself from his brother's body. They may be much weaker separate, but the odds would be two against one.

"Of course not!" Sakon snapped. His fun had long since vanished.

"But _I _can see _you_," a disembodied voice said from the cloud.

Less than a second later, a fist buried itself into their side. The blow knocked them dangerously off-balance. Before they could recover, a powerful kick connected to shoulder of the side they were falling towards. As they were sent flying to the side, they heard the sound of feet racing pass them. Then a heel dug viciously into their chest, shoving them forcefully to the side and thankfully exiting the smokescreen.

Sitting up painfully, Sakon and Ukon realized something disturbing. _Ugh, those hurt!_ Even with their slightly faster than normal healing capabilities, it would take a little time for the aches of those attacks to leave.

"Here's a little trick I learned from a rival!" several voices of the Uchiha boy shouted from the slowly dissolving smokescreen.

Rushing out of the smoke, seven Sasuke ran straight at merged brother. Growling dangerously, Sakon finally gave in to the Juin Jutsu's yearning. Black dots spread like wildfire over his body as he drew back into a defense stance. He couldn't tell if those were regular Bunshin or the infamous Kage Bunshin. With the Uchiha heir, it was be hard to tell.

That is, until his fist smashed through the first illusionary boy. _Clever_, Sakon quietly praised, despite his anger. Whirling around, he whipped his leg around to destroy the illusions, with Ukon's added help. It came as a vindictive pleasure for the brothers to see one Bunshin after another be destroyed. _But not clever enough_.

In no time there was only one Sasuke left standing. Sakon stood up proudly, leering at the boy as he said, "That's the trick? That was embarrassing."

The boy just continued to wear an arrogant smirk, chuckling quietly. This caused to Sakon to lunge forward, feeling an irrational urge to beat the proud Uchiha senseless. But when his and Ukon's fists sailed into the boy's stomach, they felt nothing but air. The last Sasuke vanished in a small poof of smoke, revealing itself to have been nothing more than a Bunshin as well!

"What the?!" was all they could stutter out before a body erupted from under the ground.

Sasuke's fist smashed into Sakon's chin. The force of the blow pushed the brothers high into the air. Landing in a crouch, Sasuke utilized his memory for the exact movements to another trick he'd once copied but never had the chance to use.

Pushing off the ground, Sasuke reappeared beneath Sakon. "And this is something I've been meaning to try out on someone _else_…but you'll do just fine."

Swinging his leg, he managed to kick Sakon in the side. It was blocked, just as he'd predicted. Using the momentum Sakon had unknowingly given him, Sasuke twirled around and brought his fist down upon the boy's throat, crushing his windpipe. As the boy gagged, Sasuke drifted above him, still spinning, and brought a fist down into the boy's stomach. They were nearly to ground now. With one last spin, he brought the heel of his foot down and rammed into it the boy's chest as he hit the ground. Beneath his foot, Sasuke could feel the satisfying cracking of ribs.

Skidding away from the downed body, he stood up and proudly crossed his arms. "That was my Shishi Rendan."

Wincing painfully as he pulled himself off the ground, Sakon's glare turned evil as his killing intent suddenly skyrocketed. Having now grown accustomed to the killing urges of his own curse seal, Sasuke found it ridiculously easy to ignore the boy's overlapping chakra aura.

"You're going to pay for that!" Sakon and Ukon both growled.

Suddenly the dots covering their body began to grow and spread. Sasuke had never seen this happen with his own curse seal before. What was happening to his opponent's body?

"Don't you dare, you stupid fuck-faces!" Tayuya yelled, her own killing intent rising.

As Sasuke glanced over at the girl, he felt the chakra of his opponent suddenly halt and then quickly recede to its prior level. What had she just stopped Sakon from doing?

But he wasn't given the time to wonder as he realized that one of the three spectators had vanished. Too late did he notice the bulky guy rushing him from behind.

Jiroubou's fist connected solidly with Sasuke's jaw, sending him flying.

His chest collided with a tree. The pain was great, almost as bad as the hits he'd taken when he'd fought Zabuza for the first time. However, the pain was also paralyzing and he could feel his body beginning to go numb. Had that fat bastard hit him with a Raiton jutsu, or had he hit some pressure points? Either way, he slid limply to the ground, unable to move and his Sharingan fading.

He felt someone pick him up by his foot and dangle him upside-down like he was the catch of the day. It took only a moment for him to realize it was Sakon holding him. But hadn't he just been injured…with cracked ribs? A _lot _of cracked ribs? _What's with these freaks?_

"Well, well," Sakon said, once again amused. "I will admit that you caught me by surprise. You do have _some_ potential. But Kimimaro had _much_ more. I still fail to see why Orochimaru-sama is interested in _you_."

Sasuke was justifiably more than a little confused. _W-What? I landed every hit, I felt his bones crack! Yet he doesn't seem to be hurt anymore…what's going on? What happened to all my strength?_

Then a single word from Sakon's little speech caught Sasuke's attention: _Orochimaru_.

"You know," Sakon said, in an almost offhandedly way. "If you stay in this village, you will never reach your full potential because you'll always be playing little family games…meaning, you'll always be weak."

Rather than try to listen to anything Sasuke might've had to say, Sakon threw him half-heartedly over his shoulder. He skidded to halt not too far from where Kakashi had pulled him into the ground for his lecture.

Forcing his numb limbs to obey, Sasuke forced himself into a sitting position. In front of him, he could sense the four minions of Orochimaru approaching him. If they attacked again, he'd be unable to defend himself. Against his will, images of Sakura, Kakashi, and even Naruto flashed through his mind.

Tayuya stepped forward, tired of being a bystander. She took a grasp of Sasuke's hair and hauled him to his feet easily. What Sasuke saw was a mixture between a grimace of annoyance and a frown of disgust.

But what she said drew Sasuke's attention.

"Come with us," she said. "Orochimaru-sama can give you more power than you've ever dreamed of…far more than enough to avenge your clan."

Sasuke just stared at the kunoichi with an indecipherable expression.

* * *

If he were a lesser man, Orochimaru wouldn't have been able to make the walk to Kabuto and Kimimaro's recovery rooms. He would've surely not even been able to remove himself from his bed. But it was thanks to sheer force of will that he made the journey. That, and he'd dealt with greater pain before…not that he wanted to recall such moments. 

The hospital room had the same eerie silence that prevailed through the compound, but this was due to the silence of the two occupants who waited for him. Even though Kabuto's eyes were closed and his breathing was as relaxed as could be expected from his injuries, Orochimaru knew he was conscious and very alert. The same could be said about Kaguya Kimimaro.

Orochimaru stared down at one of the few bodies he'd had such high hopes of possessing. If only the medical records of Kimimaro's clan hadn't been mostly destroyed or lost, he was quite confident that the bone manipulator could've been saved. It was such a shame, in Orochimaru's opinion, to have to watch the last of the Kaguya dying in front of him when he hadn't had the opportunity to possess his body.

It was now only a matter of time before he died.

Kabuto, though no longer in critical condition from the overpowered Rasengan he'd taken, was still too injured to move from his bed. The damage to the boy's chest, ribs, and internal organs had been so severe that the boy had nearly died several times. Thankfully for Kabuto's sake, Orochimaru did have some of the most talented medic-nins throughout the entire continent as underlings.

They had saved Kabuto's life…though he'd be bedridden for several months, even with his unnatural healing abilities.

"I see you're feeling better now," he said dryly, a small snaky sneer curling up his lips.

"Well enough," Kabuto said quietly, trying not to strain his chest too much. "What's the news, Orochimaru-sama?"

"I sent the Sound Four after our little friend with an invitation," he answered, his sneer vanishing slightly.

"Was that entirely necessary or wise?" Kabuto asked, opening his eyes to look at his mentor. "To send _all_ of the Four?"

Orochimaru caught his hidden meaning. Was it safe to send away all four of his most promising and prepared bodies when he was in such a condition? He had considered this, very seriously, and came to an inescapable conclusion.

"Kabuto," he said, his voice almost holding a reprimanding tone. "You know that I have only one true interest, or rather the extent of his power. I want him here as soon as possible."

"In terms of strength and every other area," the boy said, trying to not smile smugly. "As he was before the invasion, Sasuke-kun should be no match for them."

Chuckling slightly, Orochimaru nodded. "And that's exactly why he'll come to me seeking power."

"But what of Naruto-kun?" Kabuto asked, looking straight at the Hebi-Sannin.

"I gave them explicate orders to only interact with Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said, his face and tone icily cold. "They will only make themselves known to him."

As the two began discussing other topics, the mind of Kaguya Kimimaro was racing. _What is it that Orochimaru-sama and Kabuto-san are talking about? Another possible vessel for Orochimaru-sama perhaps?_

* * *

Sasuke's body was convulsing and shivers of pain were racing throughout him. It hurt so much to move. And the curse seal on his neck was burning very hotly, demanding release. But Sasuke refused, point-blank, to use the one ace he had left on shinobi that he knew could stand no chance against him if he did so. 

If he had to judge the group's prowess on his battle with Sakon and Ukon, then he knew could win. In fact, he _had_ been winning until they ganged up on him! He swore that as soon as he recovered from that numbing attack he'd been dealt, he'd crush these weaklings.

"Are you going to make up your mind or not?" Sakon demanded. "Are you coming with us, or not?"

The four of them stood in front of him again, like great sentinels, just watching him with bemused or annoyed gazes. He hated it when people looked at him like that. It reminded him very much of Itachi from his younger years.

"It's pointless to force the weakling to join us, Sakon," Ukon said, glancing over Sakon's shoulder to view Sasuke. "Orochimaru-sama will whine, but let's just kill the weak bastard anyway."

Of all the things that could've been said, it was that statement that snapped Sasuke's self-control. He was _not weak!_ Not anymore! He'd been able to overcome Sunagakure's best shinobi before his demon possessed him. He could apparently fight Naruto, also a very powerful shinobi and demon vessel, to a standstill. And, most importantly of all, his Sharingan had evolved into its mature form!

How _dare_ they call him _weak!!_

Snaking out of the Kakashi's containment seal and covering his back and left arm, the curse seal activated. With the sudden surge of his new and transformed chakra, Sasuke's Sharingan blazed back to life. The numbness in his body evaporated as he snarled out, "_Just give it a try!_"

For one infinite moment, all four Oto-nins just stared in mild surprise. It was that instant that Sasuke vanished in a burst of speed too great to track. As the four looked around for the Uchiha, straining their chakra senses for any trace of the boy, Sasuke reappeared next to Jiroubou.

It took only one fierce kick to the bulky boy's shoulder to send him flying into his companions. The four collapsed in a heap of bodies and tangled limbs. Rather than give them the chance to retaliate, Sasuke was flashing through the handseals of his favorite Katon jutsu.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

The large fireball closed the distance between Sasuke and his enemies in the blink of an eye. The explosion lit up the training field, highlighting the Memorial Stone momentarily.

Then darkness once again claimed the field, leaving a large patch of smoking earth and burnt grass.

This time Sasuke was not surprised to see the four logs that they'd substituted themselves with. Glancing over at them as they circled him, Sasuke willingly gave into the hatred that the curse seal was drawing up inside him, allowing the curse seal to completely cover his body.

He was sick of playing with these weaklings of Orochimaru. He would relish in killing them, especially the two-headed freak and the fatso. The other two could be used for interrogation once he was done crushing their petite bones.

But as he increased the power of his curse seal, so did the Sakon. As his curse seal began to spread over his body, he watched as changes began to take place. Ukon's head shifted from Sakon's back to beside his head. Their skin turned sickly gray as a single horn sprouted on opposing sides of their foreheads. Their eyes also turned black with yellow irises.

Sasuke could only stare. It wasn't just because of their physical appearance, but he could both sense and see that their chakra reserves had more than multiplied ten times from what they had been. _What is that? What's going on?_

It was thanks to his training that he didn't drop his guard, and thanks to his new Sharingan that he knew the duo's next move would be. Bringing his arm up to block the pair's kick, he threw a fast punch. It was blocked and caught easily, but Sasuke wasn't done yet.

Anchoring himself to the ground with his free hand, Sasuke swung one leg after the other at the brothers. Both blows were either caught or blocked by their arms. Then, just as in his genin exam with Kakashi, the succession of attacks left his opponent's stomach completely unguarded. And who was Sasuke to pass up such a free target when he still had one free hand?

Thanks to his Sharingan, he saw the attack coming. But, due to his position, there was no way he could block it. Chakra had welled up inside Sakon's chest, building up tremendous force. Then it went racing up their throats and out their mouths.

"_**Do Ri!**_" they cried as the chakra blast erupted out of them. The sound waves added direction and extra power for the chakra, blowing Sasuke away like he was a rag doll. He landed on his shoulder, dislocating it.

"URGH…!" grunted the Uchiha. As he sat up again, waves of fresh pain rolling off his injured shoulder, he felt the curse seal's power wane suddenly. As it began to retreat back behind Kakashi's seal, he realized why all too quickly. His chakra reserves had been completely expended, due in most part to his early fight with Naruto.

"Fucking dip-shit!" Tayuya said, anger clear in her voice and her glare. She leveled the glare at the brothers as she continued, "Are you trying to kill him or us?!"

"**No big deal**," Sakon said dismissively as the strange transformations his body had undergone began to fade away. "**No one's around here** to notice us anyway."

Ignoring his female teammate, Kidomaru spoke up, "It would seem that Sasuke-kun can at least partly control the Juin Jutsu, even without the Seishingan. That's quite impressive."

"Hardly," Sakon countered. "From the looks of it, his Juin Jutsu is still in the first stage of things, so it's spreading fairly slowly." He turned his gaze back to the winded Uchiha. "That makes it more than easy enough to control."

"What are you saying?" Sasuke asked slowly, reluctantly interested in what they were speaking of. It would seem that they each knew something about the curse seal he had. Of course he knew Sakon and Ukon had one, but did that mean that each of the others had one too?

"Simple, Sasuke," Sakon said, smiling. "If you keep 'releasing' the Juin Jutsu like you've been doing, it will slowly invade your body and mind. When its completely taken over your body, you will have become its slave, stripped of all free will."

Sasuke quietly absorbed this. It only confirmed what he'd suspected earlier. The curse seal, or Juin Jutsu as they called it, was slowly taking over him. Trying to turn him into a bloodthirsty killer.

Yet he couldn't help but wonder. If that was true, why hadn't Sakon tried to kill him when he'd used his? Had they, or rather Orochimaru, found a way to control _it_ instead?

Somehow seeing the thoughts and suspicions going through his mind, Tayuya said, "To gain something, you must be willing to sacrifice something else." When she had his attention, she continued, "We can give you a drug Orochimaru-sama developed that will give you control of the seal. It will give you enormous power, especially once you've awakened the Juin Jutsu's second level. However…"

Sasuke stared at her, his eyes narrowing slowly. She could tell he already knew what she was about say. "You have to be willing to come to Orochimaru-sama before we give you this drug."

The look in his eyes once again became clouded, completely unreadable. But this time it was clear which direction he was leaning towards, however reluctantly it was. Their mission would be so much easier if he came willingly though. So they had to convince him, fast.

"Don't forget your _purpose_," Ukon snapped out. "If you want greater power, you must first break the shackles that bind you to this pitiful village."

"Cut those worthless connections," Sakon said, picking up where Ukon ended. "And you'll discover a power and freedom you've never known before…you want to kill Uchiha Itachi, don't you?"

Before he could answer, if he even was going to, the four leapt away. They had done their mission as best they could. Now it was up to the Uchiha brat to decide. Even if he chose to not go, they would take him anyway.

That was their mission after all.

* * *

Once again Sasuke was given more to think about. He didn't want to think right now. 

But this time, it was a choice that he _had _to make.

A choice that tore at him, for he didn't have a clear answer as to what he wanted anymore.

And the answer all stemmed from his desire for power, whether it was to beat Naruto or kill 'that man'.

Slowly, meticulously, he began to examine all the facts that he knew of: what could he gain if he went to Orochimaru?

He knew Orochimaru was one of the Densetsu no Sannin, so he certainly had the means to give Sasuke the power he desired. And because Orochimaru was said to have been a prodigy as well, he most definitely had many jutsus that would help Sasuke achieve his greatest challenge. Should he go to Orochimaru, he would most certainly have years of uninterrupted training.

But…

What would he gain by staying in Konoha?

He would be able to continuously gauge his strength against Naruto, maybe even getting strong enough to force him to use his demon's youki. He would be able to train with another and experienced Sharingan user, even if Kakashi wasn't an Uchiha by birth. Then there was Sakura…but he wasn't sure what to feel about her. Yet, given time and motivation, she could easily become a new rival for him all on her own. Her brilliant mind was even better than his own, even he'd grudgingly admit that. However…

As long as he remained in Konoha, he'd always be at the mercy of the curse seal. From what those four shinobi said, if he used the Juin Jutsu in his present state too often he'd lose his free will. He'd become an uncontrollable killer, and the shinobi of Konoha would have little choice to either permanently seal it away or kill him.

But Sasuke truly didn't want to leave Konoha just yet. He had only now just discovered how great a rival he had possessed here. If he left, he'd never know exactly where he stood in terms of ability against the most powerful demon vessel in existence. And he knew that Naruto would never accompany him, much less allow him to leave. Not without a fight…

Sasuke blinked as sudden inspiration struck him.

His mind began moving at a million miles per second as he thought through his idea. If he played his cards right, however delicately, it could work.

No, it would definitely work!

Slowly returning back to the land of the living, Sasuke felt something in his hand. It was a green leaf. The symbol of Konohagakure, his home, rested within his palm. He just stared at it for a moment.

Then, with only a slight shift of the breeze, it was swept out of his hand by a firm wind. He watched the leaf tumble away, a smirk growing across his face.

His decision was made.

* * *

**(Author's Note)** WHEW!! That's a rush! I'll admit, I was jumping for joy when I had Sasuke's Sharingan evolve early. In fact, I bet I had a lot of you believing that he was going to win that fight. Right? But now that I've finally gotten that part written, I'm finally beginning to realize something. I hadn't really noticed before how much fun it can be to write about a Sharingan-user in action. Now I'm _really_ looking forward to the next few chapters! 

This chapter holds a special meaning to me. Because it is today (14 May 2007), exactly one year since I first posted the Legacy. Doesn't even seem like it to me! But this has certainly been the busiest year I've had in a while.

As usual, huge thanks to Ultra Sonic for his fantasic work and meeting this deadline!!

Oh yeah, it's official now. This story is the longest story I've ever written before. At 32 chapters, it tops my first posted story and big hit; The Weak Link. With almost two hundred thousand words, it is nearly five times longer than Unleashing Valor. Over 2,700 reviews, it has at least 15 times as many reviews as The Weak Link. And a walloping 200+ C2s, 1,250+ favorites, and 1,230+ alerts, I just rock! ;P

_Juin Jutsu--technique of the accursed mark_ (the curse seal's true name)

Next chapter: _To go or not to go. That is the question that Sasuke had to answer for himself. Now the first steps of the rest of the Rookie Nine's lives are being taken as_: The Chase Begins.


	33. The Chase Begins

Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 33--The Chase Begins

His home was as quiet and empty as always when he returned home late that night. It was almost midnight but he didn't care. He had to grab a few things, only the essentials. He stuffed several jutsu scrolls, numerous kunai and shuriken, a sleeping mat, several changes of clothes, and the only remaining photograph he had left of his family into his rucksack.

That was about everything he needed for this journey.

As he was double-checking the room, he spotted something resting by the large window. It was a photograph. Specifically, a picture of Team Seven the day that they'd became official genin.

Against his better judgment, Sasuke walked to the picture to study it. Sakura was in the front, kneeling down to allow more room for the boys. She was smiling brightly with a slightly red face, still glowering at the time that she'd somehow managed to become teammates with her crush. Himself and Naruto stood as far apart as they could manage against Kakashi holding them in place. While his own gaze had been directed off the picture, refusing to look at the camera, Naruto was glaring disgusted over at his turned face with his arms crossed over his chest. Kakashi hovered over them in the background, using his and Naruto's head as leaning posts as he smiled at the cameraman.

This was what he was leaving behind. But he didn't feel remorse. Anxiety, yes, but not remorse. He still had a trio of goals to achieve, and if leaving was the starting point for how he could manage to acquire the means to achieve those goals, then he would do so a thousand times over.

Turning, he picked up his rucksack and walked resolutely out of his room. He didn't look back once as he left his past behind him. He was walking towards his future now, and he had a lot of work to do.

* * *

She wasn't sure why she was up at this hour. She should've been in bed four hours ago, Team Seven had another solo mission tomorrow. The fact that she had been recently missing sleep over her growing worry for her best friend added its due weight to her eyelids. 

But something wasn't right. Sakura could almost feel something pulling her. It had beckoned her out of bed, gradually growing so strong that she could no longer ignore. Her woman's intuition told her that something was about to happen. Something that would forever change her life.

That was why she found herself waiting at a familiar bench, just outside the darkened Academy.

It was small at first. Had she been blessed with even half the chakra reserves that either of her teammates possessed, she would've realized in an instant what she was feeling approaching her. But as the silent shadow was pulling itself from the darkness and walked into the moonlight, an all-too-familiar silhouette was highlighted.

Sasuke-kun…with a bag.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was doing. She knew he had seen her long before she'd known he was there, but he continued walking forward. She waited in silence as he approached, and eventually stopped in front of her.

"What are you doing prowling around at this hour?" he asked, as though nothing was out-of-place.

"I knew you'd come this way…" she said quietly, for once her voice held no affection towards him. She was too saddened by what he was obviously about to do to even try to sound loving. "If you were to leave, you'd have to come this way."

Sasuke just stared at her, his face in its familiar indifferent mask. "Get out of here and go back to sleep," he said and began to walk around her.

She didn't try to stop him, only waited as he walked past. Her sad frown grew deeper with each step he took. Slowly tears began to fall from her eyes. She was losing her best friend and she knew deep down that nothing she said could stop him. And that was what caused her tears to fall faster.

"Why?" she asked, just loud enough for him to hear her. "Why won't you say anything to me?"

Sasuke at least had the courtesy to stop and answer. "I asked you once to not help me…So don't try to look after me."

Sakura had no immediate reply to that. But it was apparent to her that Sasuke was waiting for her to say something. Even before he left, he was still friends enough with her to wait for any last words? That thought caused her to smile bitterly for a moment.

"You are my best friend, Sasuke-kun," she said, turning to look at him, her tears shining brightly in the moonlight. "Even in the most painful and unbearable of times that we faced together with Naruto and Kakashi-sensei, you were always there for me. You helped me become who I am now. And despite all the bad things we've been through, I still enjoyed it."

Sasuke was quiet as he listened to her monologue. Sakura waited for a moment in case he had anything to say, but he remained silent.

"I know why you're leaving, Sasuke-kun," she said, looking down in shame. "You want to find that man, Orochimaru, to help control that curse seal. Don't you? You want its power so you can finally beat Naruto and…get your revenge."

"Yes," he said, speaking finally. "I may need it in the future, along with anything else Orochimaru can give me. Do you want to know why…? To avenge my family, to be the absolute best, these are the sole reasons that I live."

His next phrase truly released the floodgates on Sakura's tears.

"From this point on, we all walk separate paths," Sasuke monotonously. "Naruto has long since found his. I'm starting mine soon. Now it's your turn, Sakura."

Foregoing all sense of propriety, Sakura finally gave into her feelings. Not that she could hold them back much longer anyway. "I…I love you with _all my heart, Sasuke-kun!!_ P-Please don't go. Without you, I'd…be so lonely…Please…"

Sasuke just remained as he was for a moment. Then slowly, almost painstakingly, he turned and stared at her. "You really are…annoying," his tone was neutral, merely stating a fact. But there was a ghost of a smile on his face.

Turning away as he prepared to leave, he said, "I know Naruto will follow…Tell him I'll be waiting for him."

"_Don't go!!_" Sakura called out, rushing forward. "If you do, I'll--"

Sasuke suddenly phased out of sight, reappearing behind her. She froze, shivering involuntarily when she felt his hot breath on her neck.

"Sakura," there was a hint of longing in his tone. "...thank you."

_Thanks for what,_ she wanted to know. But the next thing she knew, a pressure point on her neck had been hit. Her world faded into darkness.

* * *

It had been a long, relaxing night for a certain Nara Shikamaru. Truly, nights were the best time of day. They were pleasantly quiet, cool, and not too bright on the eyes. More times than not they were also free of the troublesome issues that often plagued his waking hours. Like loud, dominant teammates, like Ino, or pushy and scary women like his mother. 

It could almost be considered a crime how much Shikamaru preferred nights. And if it weren't for the fact that he had 'day job,' Shikamaru was sure he'd live a nocturnal life.

So, much to Shikamaru's chagrin, he pulled himself awake and dressed for the day to come. But he was still feeling very much asleep, which caused him to have numerous wide yawns as he trudged to the dining table for breakfast.

For some reason that he didn't really try to think through so thoroughly, his mother had been nagging at him more than usual lately. Ever since he'd come home with that cursed flak jacket, she'd yell at him about every little thing she thought he was doing wrong and for him to start training more seriously.

This morning was no acceptation.

"You had better eat your breakfast fast," she was saying in that old tone she used when she expected him to comply without complaint. "Your father has a mission today, so morning training is going to be short."

"Yeah, yeah," Shikamaru muttered, quite annoyed.

"One 'yeah' is enough!!" she snapped heatedly.

Thankfully Shikamaru was spared anymore tortuous mothers when the doorbell unexpectedly rang. Shikamaru and his father took the moment of silence to finish what was left of breakfast. Despite how much he disliked her when she was being troublesome, Shikamaru had to admit that his mother was a decent cook.

"Shikamaru," she called as she suddenly glanced into the kitchen. "Some messengers from the Godaime want to speak with you."

That was how he found himself standing in front of the beautiful Godaime Hokage ten minutes later. He had felt an ominous feeling of dread settle upon him when he entered the room, and her grave expression did nothing to reassure him.

And as she explained the mission he had to undertake, it only intensified the feeling. Sasuke had left Konohagakure to journey to Otogakure, to meet with Orochimaru. Somehow, in some form, Orochimaru had persuaded the great Uchiha to join him. Sasuke, one of the few shinobi that Shikamaru had looked up to when they were in the academy, was now an unofficial nuke-nin.

But the worst part was the Tsunade-sama believed that he was being escorted by some of the Hebi-Sannin's best henchmen. If Shikamaru would've had his way, he'd have a team of Jounin with him. In fact, he'd made that request upon hearing he was in charge of the recovery of the wayward Uchiha. However, Konoha was still so shorthanded from the invasion that all available Jounin and even Chuunin were out of the village doing various missions.

"You have thirty minutes," Tsunade-sama said, her face solemn. "to gather as many worthy genin that you see fit, and leave immediately!"

Shikamaru bowed slightly, his mind already racing over all candidates that he had open as options. There was Akimichi Choji first. He had some useful skills thanks to his clan's jutsus that could come in handy in subduing Sasuke should he get hostile.

Next there was the Hyuuga clan, either Hinata or Neji. Hinata, no matter how much he may have appreciated the girl's determination, just didn't have the dedication to remain cool-headed in a tense situation. And while he suspected Neji would be a little sore after his recent loss to Naruto, he was definitely the best choice.

Since they were tracking Sasuke, his team would require an Inuzuka. Kiba, also probably recovering from his skirmish with Naruto, was the only Inuzuka that he knew of that had the proper training for such a mission. Shino would've also been a good choice, but he knew the boy was currently out on a mission with his father.

Ino, while would most certainly would be willing helper, was seriously lacking in all areas of shinobi training. Thanks to her disregard for training, she'd be more of a liability than an asset to the mission.

Rock Lee, another choice he'd have loved to include, had only just been released from the hospital after an intense operation. He had been ordered to rest for a week, no training or missions whatsoever. Which was a true shame. With that boy's speed and taijutsu specialty, he would've been an invaluable resource.

Then there was the enigmatic remaining members of Team Seven. Naruto would be going on his team regardless of whether he was ordered to or not. Shikamaru knew that once the boy discovered Sasuke's disappearance, he'd go charging after him like a bull to a flag. And the boy's abilities, his jutsus specifically, also gave him the best chance at beating the Uchiha should they have to fight.

Sakura was in much the same category as Ino. However, it would seem as though she'd recently begun taking her training seriously. He'd heard from Ino only the other day that the girl had made her very own jutsu, a genjutsu, that could ensnare just about any person she cast it on. While that could undoubtedly prove to be helpful, he also knew that the girl was still too weak to be able to keep the pace they would have to set.

All this had gone through Shikamaru's head in the small movement it had taken him to turn around and start walking away. Remembering his manners, he stopped and spoke over his shoulder. "I'll see what I can do, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade, who had turned to look out across the village, glanced over at him with a small smile. "I don't think I need to tell you who will be going with you, do I?"

Shikamaru could only grin slightly before he quickly left.

* * *

Outside the giant gates of Konoha, a small group of shinobi were gathered. It was Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, Choji, Lee, and Naruto. All of the boys were inventorying their supplies and weapons in the last few minutes they had left before leaving. 

Naruto stood away from the others, his shoulders rigid and his expression fierce. He was double-checking, then triple-checking all the scrolls, kunai, shuriken, and exploding notes he had stored in his pouch. He hoped he didn't have to use those, but it was always best to prepare for the worst.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru called, gaining his attention. "We're going to decide on the squad formation. Get over here."

He complied, his expression softening to become a solemn mask. Naruto watched quietly as his new team leader drew up a quick sketch of the sectors each member was to watch.

"We'll travel in a single file. Kiba, you're in front. You know Fire Country quite well and your and Akamaru's noses are even better than Naruto's I believe." This earned a broad grin from Kiba, and a sheepish smile from Naruto. "Be on the lookout for traps and snares. Next will be me, that way the rest of you can see any hand signals I'll give. Then it's Naruto. You'll be the front and back security, especially with your Kage Bunshins. Fourth is Choji, our striker. And last is Neji, our rear security thanks to your Byakugan."

All of the boys were once again gaining a new respect for the lazy genius. "And while I'm not friends with Sasuke, he's still a comrade. So I'll do everything I can to get him back. But, that also includes each of you…I'm responsible for each of your lives."

Shikamaru's face was that of fierce determination, a rather foreign expression to most of them. Kiba, of course, couldn't help but make a comment.

"Now you're starting to look like you deserve that Chuunin title," he said, with a rough grin.

Just as they were turning to leave, a familiar feminine voice called out. All eyes turned to its source; Sakura. She wore a solemn expression that matched Naruto's perfectly. Based on her red eyes, it was clear that she had also been crying recently. And rather than her usual brisk pace, her walk was slow and hesitant.

"I heard from the Hokage what happened," Shikamaru said, studying her. "I'm afraid that I can't take you with me." Her expression didn't change, but he noticed something in her gaze which was gravitating towards Naruto. "Even you couldn't convince him, right?"

That last statement struck Naruto hard. Sakura had found him before or as he was leaving, but she couldn't change his mind? But she was practically his girlfriend! Was he so dedicated to going to Orochimaru for power that he completely ignored Sakura? But…that didn't make any sense! It went completely against the type of person he had become. Maybe if this had happened four or five months earlier, he'd have believed that nothing she said could've done a thing.

"Naruto," her voice sounded different as sobs tried to escape her. It was a losing battle for her as tears began spilling out of her eyes. Her heartbroken face was enough to have almost broken the hearts of the boys around her as she spoke, "I beg you…Please bring Sasuke back…I tried…but he…He…"

"Sakura-chan," the blonde said quietly. He smiled slowly as she looked up at him in slightly surprise. He had stopped calling her 'Sakura-_chan_' when he caught her stealing his jutsu scrolls! "I'll bring him back! I promise!"

For one of the first times in his life, the pose Naruto struck actually meant something. Arm outstretched, thumb up, and a large foxy grin gave her a brief sense of reassurance. Yes, he would bring Sasuke-kun back. For her.

The moment was broken when Kiba smacked Naruto good-naturedly over the back of his head. "Heh! Think you can keep that promise?"

Naruto's foxy grin returned instantly as he glanced at his temporary teammate. "I don't take back my words, Kiba. That's my shinobi nindo!" Turning to face the road, he called out loudly, "_Alright! LET'S GO!!_"

It was that command that had the team take off in it's predetermined formation. Sakura and Lee watched the team as they quickly disappeared into the foliage, following Kiba and Akamaru's noses.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan," Lee said comfortingly. "When a man makes a promise in the 'nice-guy' pose, it means he'll keep it for sure."

Sakura glanced over at Lee, seeing him mirroring Naruto's pose with a warm smile. For some reason, that smile helped set her fears to rest even more.

Now it was the waiting game for her.

* * *

"I think this will be a good place," Sakon said as they reached a small clearing in the woods. "And we're certainly far enough from Konoha." 

"What is it?" Sasuke said, instantly on guard.

"I think it's about time we gave you the Seishingan, Sasuke-sama," Sakon said, a snide grin quirking at the corners of his lips as he dug out the small jar that held several pea-sized pills.

"Why now?" he demanded, glaring at the brothers he strongly disliked.

"That pill will forcefully activate your Juin Jutsu's second level, _Sasuke-sama_," Tayuya grumbled. She hated repeating this information so many times to so many people.

"When that happens," Sakon interrupted, preventing Tayuya from any chance to start cussing. "the contamination speed of the Juin Jutsu will increase dramatically. If we don't do anything, it will kill you within minutes."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously. So this was the information that they'd been holding back, as he suspected.

"In order to gain control of the level two's power and urges," Sakon continued, ignoring Sasuke's glare. "your body needs time to get accustomed to it."

"What'll happen after I die?" he asked slowly. If the Juin Jutsu killed him, as Sakon was clearly saying, then Sasuke guessed that it would also gain complete control of his body. With his mind dead, there would probably be no resistance to stop it.

"Don't worry," Sakon said, almost dismissively, as he opened the jar and plucked out a pill. "That's why we're here. Our barrier can reduce that unfortunate side-effect to a temporary coma."

Taking the small black pill, Sasuke gazed at it critically. It seemed almost ridiculous to think that such a small thing could possibly end his life. Looking back up at Sakon fiercely, he demanded, "How _reliable_ are your barriers?"

Smirking proudly, Kidomaru said, "We four are usually Orochimaru-sama's personal guards! So our _strongest_ skills are creating seals and barriers."

He was silent for a moment, merely staring down at the pill in his hand. Did he really want this power so badly that he'd risk his own death on something like this? A familiar memory of a two-tailed Naruto jumping high over his head and the forest canopy sprang to mind. His teammate had such incredible power, even after he launched that forbidden katon jutsu.

Yes, he did want to take this chance!

"I'm counting on it," Sasuke stated just before he shoved the pill into his mouth and swallowed. It took only a moment before he felt a sudden excruciating pain burning through his body, originating from the curse seal.

* * *

They had been running nonstop for nearly three hours. According to Kiba, and acknowledged by Naruto, they were finally starting to gain a fair amount of ground. The forest they were running through was a bit denser than what they were used to, but it was more of an advantage to them than anything else. 

The scent of the four shinobi and Sasuke was covering the ground, not the trees. Whoever was with Sasuke were more accustomed to running across fields and hills than through trees. For Konoha-nin, this was a clear advantage as they could cover much more ground faster through trees than across the ground.

All five of them were extremely quiet, each sharing the feeling of saving their energy for any fights they may come across. But that silence was broken when Kiba and then Naruto caught the scent of blood in the distance. It wasn't too far away, more or less five or six miles away judging from the strength of the winds carrying the scent.

"Someone seems to have gotten into a skirmish with the shinobi escorting Sasuke," Neji said when he heard the information. "We probably should go investigate. We may gather some vital information on these people."

"The longer we take," Shikamaru said, speaking with a surprising edge to his voice. "the closer Sasuke comes to crossing the border."

"Shikamaru's right," Naruto said. "Our mission's to get Sasuke back. By investigating a fight, we'll be giving him more time to escape."

"However," Shikamaru said warningly. "because of that fight, the enemy will be on high-alert now. They'll most definitely have set traps now…Keep your eyes open!"

* * *

They continued on silence once again. But when they encountered a trap with explosive tags, the team had been forced to continue on foot. It slowed their progress slightly. It only taken them about five minutes after they left that trap behind that Naruto detected another. It had turned out to be a large, deep trench embedded with vicious spikes on the bottom. It would've been certain death for them to have fallen into it. 

After making several detours and narrowing avoids several more traps, they came upon one that was different than the others. It consisted of one trap wire in plain sight, clearly a decoy. The second wire was very well camouflaged, as close to invisible as it could be in the grass.

But the fact that this trap was so well-made for being rushed warned them of a very important detail. The shinobi who'd taken Sasuke were probably resting, or waiting to ambush any oinins that were on their trail. Yet there was also one other detail. Both Kiba and Naruto could pick up the scent of the shinobi responsible for the trap all over the place, too strong of a scent for it to have merely a double-layered trap.

After formulating a quick plan for capturing the shinobi, they broke off into two teams. Shikamaru and Neji were doing the direct and most easily detected approached. Neji was quickly able to find Sasuke trapped within the barrel that was resting with them.

Much to Shikamaru and Neji's disgruntled surprise, the shinobi's method of forcing them out of hiding was a kunai with a trio of explosive tags. Despite them leaping for safety, the explosion sent the Konoha pair flying heads-over-heels towards their enemies.

"Well, well," the blue-haired one drawled eerily. "Poked the bush and got two bugs instead of rabbits."

The bulky one crouched down in preparation for a fight. Seeing this action, Shikamaru threw up his hands in a defensive motion, "Hey, wait! Wait! We're not here to fight! We came to negotiate."

The six-armed shinobi just smirked conceitedly. With a mighty heave, he yanked on a number of nearly invisible threads. Pulled forcefully out of the bushes they'd been hiding in, Choji, Naruto, and Kiba were hurled towards Shikamaru and Neji. Kidomaru couldn't help but taunt them as he threw them. "Then what are these?"

As he was falling, Kiba hurled the smoke bomb he'd been holding. It exploded directly between the two opposing sides. Like had been planned. And Shikamaru used the trick to his advantage as he quickly flipped through the various handseals for his Kagemane no Jutsu.

"What good is that smoke bomb to me?" Kidomaru demanded on the other side of the smoke. "I've caught you all in my web, you can't escape me."

"Let me guess," Naruto said as he sat up rubbing his back awkwardly. "You laid those string things all around here."

Kidomaru only continued to smirk, which was answer enough.

"So you purposely made those two wires visible…" Shikamaru said, feigning his awe at their brilliant scheme. "Triple traps, eh…? What a blunder. I didn't even think of such a trick."

Even Neji had to fight to keep a smirk from crossing his impassive face. Shikamaru was playing his role wonderfully, almost as well as an experienced actor. If Neji hadn't had knowledge of Shikamaru's plans and abilities, he probably would've been fooled.

So of course the four in front of them fell for it.

"You guys are all--" '_gonna die_' that's what Kidomaru wanted to say. But he was interrupted as he felt his body stiffen, an alien presence racing up over him. He couldn't move at all.

"Heh," Naruto chuckled. "Great job, Shika!"

"Arrogant of all of you," Shikamaru said with a chastening tone, sounding almost like his mother. "Thanks for falling right into _our_ trap."

"Well," Sakon drawled as he felt Ukon quickly sliding out of his body. He needed to stall them for a moment. "In your own words, 'arrogant of all of you.'"

At that moment, Ukon, hidden by the underbrush, threw a pair of shuriken at the shadow user. Shikamaru didn't notice them until it was too late. The imbedded themselves into his arms as he threw them up to defend himself instantly. The sharp pain was more than enough for his focus on the Kagemane to falter and break loose.

Jiroubou didn't give them a moment's grace to recover. He dropped to the ground, slamming his hands down and pumping chakra into it as he activated a jutsu he'd long since mastered.

"Doton Kekkai: Doroudoumu!" he grunted as rocks and dirt sprung up, quickly forming a dome around the newly-imprisoned Konoha-nin.

Ukon quickly rejoined his beloved, granting him his strength once again. They truly loved to use their ability to merge and separate to confuse and frighten their enemies. While this time was different, it certainly was just as satisfying.

"I'll take care of these guys," Jiroubou said, there was a quiet command in his voice. It didn't surprise any of his teammates. The ability to steal his opponents' chakra and add it to his own was his special ability. Unfortunately, he could only use it with the Doroudoumu. "I wanna recover a bit more of my chakra capacity."

"Well, catch up with us as soon as you're done eating," Kidomaru said as they turned to leave. "We're gonna head out."

As soon as Kidomaru donned the barrel with Sasuke inside, the three were gone. Jiroubou only grinned as he continued his feast.

* * *

Knocking firmly against the rock walls they were trapped in, Naruto listened closely. The wall was quite thick, and had a consistent hardness to it. Naruto pondered seriously if his Kaze Kiwa could drill through it. 

Since the Kaze Kiwa was a combination of a drill and a sword, it only seemed logical that it could. But maybe he should use the Tatewaru instead. The Tatewaru was many times stronger, and was better suited to be a battering ram than a drill.

"Move it, Naruto!" Kiba said, forming familiar handseals.

As the blonde quickly complied, Kiba crouched down then sprung forward, spinning. With a cry, Kiba's Tsuuga crashed full force into the wall. Though he threw up a considerable amount of dust and debris, as soon as Kiba dropped out of the small crater he made it began to repair itself. Like it was a living skin healing a cut.

Kiba just gawked at it for a moment, but turning and pointing at it, clearly dumbfounded.

"I saw it too," Neji said quietly, nodding his confirmation to Kiba that he'd not been hallucinating. "Something's wrong."

With only a small moment of concentration, his Byakugan activated. He glared fiercely at the wall in front of him. What he saw wasn't what he expected. He could see chakra swirling around the chamber they were trapped inside. The chakra seemed to be getting absorbed into the walls, and flowing towards a certain area in the wall. But the worst part was that he could see where the chakra was coming from.

"This is bad," he said, earning the attentions of his comrades. Neji was staring at his hands in disbelief. "Our chakra is being sucked dry."

Even as he said those words, each them began to feel the effects. Drowsiness, headaches, and faint breathing were among the most common symptoms.

"Guys," Shikamaru said very quietly, rising out his thinking position. When he'd started strategizing was unknown to them, but when they saw the look on his face, they knew he knew what to do. "I've an idea."

Outside the prison, Jiroubou was ecstatic. The amount of chakra that he was absorbing was astounding, and it didn't seem like he'd even close to getting it all yet. He had a feeling that once he completely drained them, his strength would be even greater than that of Kimimaro-san!

But he was slightly curious what they were talking about inside. Despite the fact that he could hear anything his captives said when they spoke at normal volume, the same couldn't be said for when they were whispering.

"_Hey!_" one of his meals suddenly called out, his voice muffled from the earth wall between them. "_I wanna talk to your leader! We won't follow Sasuke anymore! Please let us out!_"

"_Hey_," another said, sounding surprised. "_What are you saying, Shikamaru?!_"

"An internal dispute?" Jiroubou asked, smirking slightly at the irony. "Heh…sorry, but all of you are my meal. I can't let you out until I'm done."

"_Then one is fine_," the first voice said. "_Just let me out…I'm tired of these conflicts anyway_."

"_Do you know what you just said!?_" shouted a third voice, sounding quite enraged.

This drama struck Jiroubou as highly amusing. Yes, a meal with a show truly were the most enjoyable of all. But what was being asked of him was what really hit Jiroubou as funny. "It would seem that you're the _leader_…and you're asking for _mercy?!_ A fool like you doesn't deserve the position of the leader!"

Resuming his chakra absorption at an increased rate, Jiroubou made one final comment just to spite the idiot he was talking to. "You're giving up your mission, pleading with your captor, and selling out your comrades, eh? And you call yourself a shinobi of Konohagakure…? You will die here."

After a moment of incomprehensible shouting taking place inside, Jiroubou felt a sudden churning inside. Something big was inside, and moving fast. Before he was able to reinforce his Doroudoumu with extra chakra, there came a loud crash and debris was sent flying high into the air on the far side of his dome.

It didn't take a genius to realize that the dome had been somehow broken. It was with extreme irritation that he couldn't finish his meal that he released the jutsu. As the earth and rocks fell back to the ground, he cast an angry glare at them.

"Good work everyone," the Chuunin said, sneering slightly at Jiroubou's expression.

"So you got out," he said, closing his eyes and looking away as he mentally evaluated how much chakra he'd absorbed from them. Damn near all his chakra reserves had been refilled! Sneering, he glanced back at them. "Fabulous job!"

The blonde boy and the scruffy-looking dog-boy both glared in response, instinctively dropping down in preparation for a charge.

"Alright, that's it!" the dog-boy yelled. "He's going down!"

"Oh no you don't!" the blonde yelled fiercely. "He's mine!!"

"Use your heads!" the Hyuuga snapped, causing both boys to halt their charges prematurely. "We are severely weakened, and Sasuke's getting away!"

Huffing arrogantly, the dog-boy turned back to Jiroubou. "We broke the barrier. I think we can take care of this guy too, no sweat!"

Losing patience, Jiroubou quickly formed the hebi handseal. This was another jutsu he nearly mastered to the point of not needing handseals. Slamming his hand to the ground again, he growled out, "Annoying flies…I'll crush you."

The ground shook violently under their feet, throwing the pitiful Konoha-nins off balance. But Jiroubou was more focused on heaving up the colossal load that he had summoned. By the time the worthless Konoha-nins had reoriented themselves, he was ready.

Yet he couldn't hold back the smirk of accomplishment as the weaklings spotted what he now held over all their heads. A boulder that was as large as a two-story building! The gawk on the blondie was especially amusing.

"Sweet Kami-sama!" they gasped.

"Doton: Doryo Dango no Jutsu," Jiroubou muttered just before he threw it at them.

The boulder was nearly upon when it was suddenly shattered like glass. The bulky Oto-nin could only stare in surprise and reluctant respect as a large spinning mass came hurtling through it, towards him. He correctly guessed that this was what had broken his Doroudoumu earlier.

"Nikudan Sensha no Jutsu!" came a voice from the ball as it bore down on him.

Reacting purely on impulse, Jiroubou reached and caught the ball as it crashed into him. The sheer and surprising weight of it pushed him several paces across the ground, despite him gluing himself the earth with chakra. Clutching the ball on its spinning axis as best he could, Jiroubou forced himself to remain standing.

Steadying himself, he tightened his grasp. The spinning ball quickly lost its power, slowing and quickly halting. What Jiroubou saw staring up at him was the face of the fatso Konoha-nin.

Chuckling, he rammed his knee up into the boy's face. The blow sent the fatso flying into the ground. Leaping up to it, he dug his shoulder in the blob with all his strength. "Tokken!"

The blow sent the boy flying back into his comrades, deflating back to his normal size. Once the fatso had skidded safely behind them, the others moved to attack, anger written all across their faces.

"Wait, everyone!" the Chuunin yelled. "There's no time left for this guy. Neji, you take Kiba and Choji and go after Sasuke. Naruto and I will deal with this guy."

"You're gonna try that shadow bind on me again, aren't you?" Jiroubou asked, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Such a useless move…One time and I already know how to deal with it. You really are a stupid squad leader, splitting up your team. Must be tedious work for your underlings, picking up after you. What a fool."

Though he didn't know it, what he just said caused something to snap in the fatso mind. But as he continued to talk, the fat boy began to climb to his feet. "Don't worry, though. I'll be sure to kill you all before you get bored."

A sudden drastic spike in chakra from the blonde kid drew his attention. How could he still have so much leftover after being in the Doroudoumu for so long? "Now you're really going down!!"

"HE'S MINE!!!" the fatso yelled, halting the blonde's charge. All eyes were on the boy as he turned the fiercest glare any of them, especially his comrades, had ever seen coming from the kind-hearted, pleasantly-plump Akimichi. His voice was little more than a growl as he said, "_I'll take care of him!!_"

* * *

**(Author's Note)** I know, I know. I followed the canon very closely for this chapter. Maybe a little too closely, I admit. But, in my defense, there isn't really much I wanted to change during this part of the arc. Namely Choji's fight with Jiroubou, even if Naruto could've taken the fat-ass. Besides, poor Choji needs a little spotlight in this story right? 

Big thanks go out to NoneAvailable, Ultra Sonic 007, and Dragon6 for helping to motivate and focus me in this chapter.

_Doton: Doryo Dango_--Earth Element: Mud Dumpling (Jiroubou)

_Doton Kekkai: Doroudoumu_--Earth Element Barrier: Clay Prison (Jiroubou)

_Nikudan Sensha_--Human Bullet Tank (Choji)

_Tokken_--Tackle Charge (Jiroubou)

Oinins--pursuers, executioners

Next Chapter: _One by one, the Sound Four are getting depleted, but so is the strength of the retrieval team. Yet despite their victories, Sasuke's barrel is continually moving closer to the border. Leaving the wounded behind, the team is forced to move on knowing that_: The Chase Goes On.


	34. The Chase Goes On

Surprise!!! I'm back!! I hope this chapter is better than the last one, it should be. Give it chance, guys.

Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan

By: Tellemicus Sundance

_Chapter 34--The Chase Goes On_

Digging into his weapons' pouch, Choji extracted a small but tightly bound bag. He held it back towards Shikamaru as he said, "Shikamaru, give these soldier pills to everyone and get out of here."

"Choji," Shikamaru couldn't believe it, and it showed in his voice. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"You think so?" the Akimichi asked, glancing back at his best friend with his usual smile. "I've still got the secret weapon for myself."

"But that's--"

"Go, Shika!" Choji snapped, steel once again in his voice as he glared at his enemy. "Don't forget our mission! You guys go get Sasuke, I'll handle this guy…Or would you prefer to become what he's been calling us? 'Just a foolish leader and a bunch of trash.'"

No one had a response to that statement. But their respect for the Akimichi did jump up several pegs as they drifted over to Shikamaru who still held the bag of soldier pills.

"Thanks, Choji," Naruto said quietly as he ate the pill he'd taken.

It came as a great relief to all of them to have their chakra and energy be so quickly replenished. In fact, the small pills almost gave them an overload!

"Choji," Shikamaru said as he reluctantly turned away. "You better catch up when you're done."

"Alright," there was no emotion in the boy's answer. He'd merely acknowledged his best friend's request.

"Hey, Choji," Naruto said, grinning broadly at the boy's back. "Don't hold back, knock him dead!"

Choji glanced back at Naruto for a moment before a smile crossed his plump face. "You got it, Naruto."

"Alright, everyone," Shikamaru said, reasserting his command. "Let's go!"

Charging forward with the power of a tank, Jiroubou yelled out, "I'll make quick work of you and them too!"

All of Choji's teammates glanced back towards the scene upon hearing that shout. What they saw and sensed would forever be imprinted into their memories for the rest of their lives.

Choji, hesitant and kind-hearted Akimichi Choji, had a literal explosion of chakra as he stopped the charging tank of a shinobi in his tracks.

Naruto, who had always had some degree of respect for the boy since he was one of the very few who was never cruel to him in the Academy, smiled even more broadly. Glancing over at the clearly worried Shikamaru, he turned a confident grin to him.

"Don't worry, Shikamaru," he called over. "He'll do just fine!"

As they were running into the wood line, Shikamaru called a halt. Taking out a kunai, the Chuunin scratch a quick arrow into the bark.

"He made a promise with us," was all he needed to say. "But before he does, we'd better get Sasuke back!"

It was a stressful few minutes as they traveled away from the battle that was being waged, no matter how they felt about the boy they left behind. The sounds of loud explosions, faint cries of pain, fluctuating chakra signatures that consistently got much more powerful, and even a considerably strong earthquake left each of them wondering:_ what is going on back there?_

Then, after one final explosion of chakra, all turned eerily silent.

* * *

The remaining members of the Sound Four continued at a leisure pace. It was a combination of them still being partially exhausted from their earlier use of the Juin Jutsus and giving Jiroubou a chance to catch up after he'd crushed those pests. 

They were already several miles away when it started getting a bit worrisome when the last of them failed to return. Had something happened to the bulky bastard?

"Jiroubou, he's late," Sakon remarked, hardly caring about his teammate's absence.

"Nah," Kidomaru said as he sensed a fast approaching presence. A familiar bulky body landed on a nearby tree limb, confirming his suspicion. "He's already here."

"What took you so long?" Sakon snapped, their time limit was quickly catching up to them. If they stalled much longer, they'd be in some serious trouble with Orochimaru-sama when he'd be forced to change bodies with some he'd rather not.

"Gomennasai," Jiroubou said as he rejoined their formation. "It took some time to take those bastards' chakra away."

"Damn fat-ass," Tayuya cussed, also in a foul mood. "Hurry up and carry that coffin. It's your job, inferior dickhead!"

"Yeah…" Jiroubou said quietly.

His answer instantly drew suspicious glances from all them. The only time they ever not heard the big boy not reprimand Tayuya for cussing was…

"Hey, Jiroubou," Kidomaru said, discreetly molding chakra. "you're so obedient today…"

"What?" the imposter asked, a scowl crossing his face.

"I'm saying that I can't let you carry this coffin…" Kidomaru said, turning to face the imposter. Two of six arms quickly removed the coffin from his back, tossing it to Tayuya. "since you're not Jiroubou!"

Scowling even deeper at the loss of his cover, the imposter quickly withdrew a kunai. He moved to stab Kidomaru, but the six-armed boy easily caught the arm. Indeed, it certainly possessed nowhere near the same physical strength that the real Jiroubou had.

Quickly spitting out a web and pinning the imposter to a tree, it was revealed that it was the Chuunin from earlier. Kidomaru readied for the kill and Tayuya and Sakon needed no command to take the barrel and sprint away. The mission mattered more than anything else.

Sensing movement above him, Kidomaru glanced up in time to see series of large drills plummeting towards him at high speeds. "Fuuton: Kaze Misairu Rendan!"

Kidomaru only grinned as he formed a large ball of webbing in his hands. Throwing the web ball up, it opened up and quickly caught on the surrounding trees, forming a large spider web. Kidomaru's smirk was large as he watched the spinning missiles continue towards him. Nothing had ever broken through his webbing, not even Kimimaro had been able to!

But when the slashing wind chakra of the seven missiles crashed into the web, it snapped and shredded as though it was as frail of tissue paper. Kidomaru was too busy gawking that he almost failed to notice the pair of drills rushing up at him from below.

Kidomaru frantically shot out a series of web strings to halt his descent. But in doing, he put himself between a rock and a hard place. Wind missiles fast approaching from above, drills rushing up at him from below, and he'd efficiently entangled himself in his own web from halting his fall.

Then his luck prevailed. Gravity pulled the two drills under him back to the earth, saving him from being backstabbed. But that was where his luck ended, for the wind missiles above him hadn't stopped in the least.

Releasing one side of the strings he held to swing away, Kidomaru could only watch in horror of what happened next. One of the missiles was too close! He managed to shift his body just enough to get his torso out of the way, but his arms weren't so fortunate.

The missile hacked deeply into the three arms on his left side, even giving shallow slashing to his side. Two of his arms were completely severed from his body, his uniform was shredded on that side with blood gushing from the pair of stumps that remained.

Screaming out in agony, Kidomaru was just barely able to brace himself against the tree he was swinging towards. Blood was running freely out of the stumps, coating the tree he was on very fast, and filling the air with its nauseating coppery scent..

For the first time in a very long time, Kidomaru forgot a very important shinobi rule. No matter what condition your body is in, never forget to search for enemy shinobi. Many deaths had occurred over the years due to a wounded shinobi's lack of attention to detail and opportunistic enemies. The now four-armed boy never saw Hyuuga Neji coming.

Thrusting his palm into the boy's unprotected back, Neji sent a powerful Jyuuken strike straight through Kidomaru's heart. Removing his hand from the boy's now crushed backbone, Neji watched impassively as the boy lost his grip and fell to the earth, death just a short fall away.

"That was very foolish of you," Neji said, his tone as void of emotion as his face. "Dropping your guard when you're surrounded by enemies."

"Hey, Neji!" Naruto yelled from above as he landed heavily on a tree nearby. "Great job! I didn't even know you were there!"

Glancing up at the blonde, Neji managed to smirk. "Hyuuga are quite skilled at stealth, Uzumaki."

"Ha! As if!" Naruto shot back as he dropped down closer to the Hyuuga. "I'd say just _you're_ skilled at it!"

Naruto's cheerful grin was infectious in that mysterious way. He couldn't help but grin at the compliment. But his face quickly returned to its normal impassiveness. If he wasn't careful, Neji knew he'd start appreciating Naruto as a friend rather than the undefeatable rival that he had been lately.

"Come on," Kiba called already starting the remaining two. "They're still close!"

"Kiba! Wait!" Shikamaru yelled.

"What?"

"Don't go after them yet," he ordered. "It's nearly dusk, in case you didn't notice." In truth, none of them had. "Those Oto-nin will most likely stop for the night. I think they're still exhausted from that fight. But I know they'll lay so many traps down in the area they choose that it would take an army to reach them."

"Aren't you forgetting something, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked, grinning broadly. "I'm the Prank Master! No trap will ever catch _me_ by surprise!"

Shikamaru gave him a reluctant grin as he said, "I meant even an army of _you_, Naruto."

Naruto scowled, clearly believing otherwise. "Well, I'm still going to get as close to them as I can! Let's go, Kiba!"

With that said, the two boys dashed off. Shikamaru sighed reluctantly as he glanced over at Neji. "Sometimes I really dislike Naruto-san," he said before leaping after the pair.

"Join the club, Shikamaru-san," Neji said as he easily caught up to the Chuunin in the fast fading light.

* * *

A cry of excruciating pain tore itself through the snake's den. It originated from the showers. Orochimaru stood difficultly in the torrent of water, completely of all bandages and wrapping that had been used in an attempt to sustain his life. 

His blackened and useless arms hung completely exposed. The burn marks that covered his arms thanks to his dead former-sensei looked much more than he'd feared. The skin was horribly dry, undoubtedly dead. Large cracks and cuts in the black skin opened from even the slightest movement he tried to make with the useless limbs. Blood was seeping out of those injuries in alarming quantities.

As he stood there in the shower, in a futile attempt to clean his ruined body, Orochimaru finally had to acknowledge the inevitable. He had to take a new body,

Karin, who'd been called back from his south base due to Kabuto's incapacitation, stood outside the showers. She had never heard such scream of pain before in her life. And that was saying something, considering she had just been in command of one of Orochimaru's human research bases. Or perhaps it was because this scream actually came from a person she acknowledged and worshipped like a god.

"Karin!" his voice snarled out, his killing desire and anger an almost palpable thing. "Where is Sasuke?!"

"I'm afraid he still has not arrived yet, Orochimaru-sama," she answered clearly, knowing it would displease him. "But I've already taken care of that issue. I've sent a very reliable person to take charge of Sasuke-kun's salvage."

Orochimaru was quiet for a moment. He instantly knew what she was talking about. There were very few shinobi or kunoichi among his underlings that actually had Karin's respect. And one of those underlings was the near-death Kimimaro. _Hm, he'll do well enough_.

"Orochimaru-sama," Karin said suddenly, concern undisguised in her voice. "This is an emergency. Please, I implore you to switch bodies tonight. I know it will take years before you can do so again, but you'll lose everything if you don't tonight."

His killing desire and fury was strong enough to cause nearly the entire population of Otogakure to shiver in terror. But thankfully his anger wasn't directed upon anyone within miles of the village. It was upon a man who he had already killed: the Sandaime Hokage

"I'll ready the best of the best available reserves, Orochimaru-sama," Karin said, bowing to the figure that stood in the next room.

She received no answer, though she knew he silently approved. It was unfortunate though. Tonight, the legendary Hebi-Sannin would be forced to put all his plans on hold for another three years!

* * *

"What did you say?!" 

That shout echoed throughout the Hokage Tower, formally announcing Hatake Kakashi's return to Konoha and discovery of the situation.

Kakashi liked to believe that with all he'd seen in his life, nothing could ever really catch him by surprise or overwhelm him with horror and fear. But after what Godaime Hokage Tsunade-sama had just told him, he had been grievously mistaken.

Sasuke had apparently left the village, most likely escorted underlings of Orochimaru, and only five rookies had been sent to retrieve him. Even if those rookies were outstanding shinobi in their own right, this was just too much!

"I can't believe this," he said, leaning heavily against Tsunade's desk. The trembling that was raking through his body had nothing to do with the fact that he was still quite tired from the mission he'd _just_ returned from.

"There was no other choice," Tsunade said solemnly. "The village has hit the necessary minimum as it is."

Kakashi was silent as he continued staring at the desk unseeingly. He knew what he needed to do. He had no choice in the matter. He had to go out after them and personally bring Sasuke back, and the others if they were still alive.

As he was turning to leave, Tsunade sent him a glare that could've frozen even Orochimaru with fear. "Where are you going? You already have a new mission: S-Rank."

"Indeed I do," Kakashi said quietly, continuing to walk away. "Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as I'm finished."

Tsunade stared in slight shock and surprise as Kakashi slammed the door closed behind him. But Kakashi didn't care, he had a pair of wayward students to retrieve.

* * *

The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Tayuya and Sakon took off again. They felt very much rejuvenated, well Tayuya did. If she had to guess, the bastard fairy and his brotherly stump were still injured. It would seem that the Uchiha's strength was greater than they'd originally thought if he could give them such a long-lasting pain. 

She was busy carrying the barrel when she sensed it. A quartet of presences were approaching them fast. Clearly her bastards for teammates had each failed somehow.

"Wait a second," she called, halting on a tree limb.

Jumping back to her, Sakon crouched down to examine the barrel she carried as he asked, "Is it almost time?"

"Not yet," she quickly put the bulky thing down with a sigh of relief. Turning to face their enemies, she continued, "But we have company."

Snapping around to where she was looking, Sakon spotted the four instantly. They looked a bit worn and rather filthy, but still possessing a lot of spirit left.

"Dammit," Tayuya growled, her foul temper beginning to rise. This wasn't going to be a good day! "Jiroubou, Kidomaru! What have they been doing?!"

"Dying, obviously!" the blonde that stood in the center yelled at them. "And now, we've caught up and you're going down!"

"_HA!_" Sakon cried, charging forward. "I'LL KILL YOU ALL WITHIN _SECONDS!!!_"

The blonde threw a kunai, but it proved futile as Sakon's speed quite surpassed his own. As he lunged for the blonde, the other three moved to intercept. Forming a fast ryu handseal to help focus his speed, the fairy bastard unleashed his favorite offense.

"Taren Ken!"

In the space of half a second, the three weakling Konoha-nins were pummeled with over three hundred punches. The weaklings had absolutely no chance to defend. The force of the punches sent the three flying away for a brief moment before erupting into smoke.

It was then that Sakon noticed what the blonde had been doing while his attention was focused on the three attacking shadows. He was just releasing a handseal as a tornado of spinning wind sprung to life around his forearm. Sakon took one look at the strange jutsu and instantly realized what it was meant to do.

As he landed, he had barely a second's notice before the blonde thrust his hand and jutsu towards his chest. Arms snapping up, he caught the boy's elbow, instantly halting the boy's thrust.

"If I grab your arm before you touch me with this thing," Sakon said, sneering broadly. "It's checkmate, matey."

The blonde just glared for a moment, but a devious foxy grin flashed across his face. Reacting on instinct, Sakon released the boy and sprung backward. It was his sudden jump away that saved his life. He watched in slight surprise as the tip of the wind circling the boy's hand suddenly extended until it was nearly a meter away from his hand!

But while Sakon had prevented an unexpected stab through his chest, he couldn't stop the vicious slash of wind chakra across his stomach. It wasn't fatal, thankfully, but deep enough to draw blood.

"Tsuuga!" a voice cried from behind the blonde boy. Then a drill of wind tore through the boy, rushing for Sakon who was still suspended in the air. The boy erupted into a cloud of smoke, revealing itself to have been a Kage Bunshin along.

Rolling backwards, Sakon literally felt the winds of the drill's passing as it roared over his body. But rather than curve to try to attack him again, it continued on towards Tayuya and the barrel.

They only realized what the true purpose of this latest attack was at this point. The Konoha-nin apparently were tired of trailing after them and fighting them. They were going straight for their goal, only dealing with them if they were in the way.

Recoiling off a tree limb, Sakon lunged up towards the speeding missile and Tayuya. But even from his vantage point, he failed to notice the appearance of another of the retrieval team until it was too late.

Tayuya froze involuntarily as she felt a familiar oppressive aura consume her body. It was the same as when that shadow freak with the Chuunin vest had trapped them the previous day.

She was unable to do anything except watch powerlessly as the jutsu came charging towards her. Then, just before impact, the winds disappeared and the spinning form of the dog-boy became visible. He shifted himself and kicked the barrel away.

"TAYUYA!!" Sakon screamed, furious. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Too late he realized that she was bound by the shadow user. As he raced through the air towards her, she shifted positions so that she was directly in his way. An unavoidable collision considering he was sailing through the air at her.

Just before they hit, the shadow detached itself. The sudden freedom of movement did nothing for Tayuya as she was hit dead-on by Sakon.

As the pair were recovering, the dog-boy hurled the barrel towards the real blonde. Catching the object easily, the blonde broke out in loud laughter of joy.

"Yeah! Oh yeah!" the boy cheered. "Konoha: 3, Oto: 0! Yahoo!"

"All according to plan!" the Chuunin said, a relieved smile on his face.

"Fuckers!" Tayuya growled as she pulled herself up.

"Shikamaru! Naruto! Neji!" the dog-boy yelled. "Let's get out here!"

"Not yet," a cold voice stated. It caused both Sakon and Tayuya to flinch.

There, standing directly behind them, was the fourth and final member of the retrieval team. Dropping into a fighting stance, the boy rushed forward with slightly glowing hands.

Years of shinobi training and experience saved Sakon's life once again. He managed to dodge the initial strike and threw a vicious kick into the boy's face. Ignoring the Hyuuga, Sakon's Juin Jutsu flared to life as he turned to face the blonde who was leaping away with his mission objective.

"_YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!!!_" he cried, blasting himself towards the blonde at incredible speeds.

It was the dog barking in Dog-boy's jacket that snapped him out of his momentary disbelief. Quickly slapping an explosive note to a kunai, he hurled it towards the approaching juggernaut.

The sound of the dog's barking also served to enrage Sakon further. "_STOP HOWLING, BITCH!!!_" In his rage, Sakon knocked the kunai aside and forgetting about the tag that was upon it.

Behind him, the Hyuuga had recovered and also launched himself after Sakon. He was just passing the deflected kunai when a spark of light drew his attention. The note was about to explode!

The force of the explosion blew all three of them careening through the forest canopy uncontrollably. Being the closest to the blast, Neji was knocked unconscious from the power behind him. He was thankfully spared the sight of where he, Kiba, and Sakon were racing towards.

They fell down the trench of a deep canyon.

* * *

"Kiba! Neji!" Shikamaru and Naruto yelled as they watched and heard their teammates falling into the canyon. 

By this point, Tayuya had had enough! Rushing for the remaining pair of enemies, she activated her Juin Jutsu as she prepared to go all-out. This tree canopy in northern Fire Country would be their final resting grounds!

Putting the barrel down, Naruto moved to join Shikamaru. They watched in surprise as the girl suddenly flinched and came to an abrupt halt. "Kimimaro?!"

Naruto, with far superior senses than Shikamaru, had only a fraction of a second to register the presence of someone dropping down behind. Had Naruto been blessed Sasuke's reflexes, he might've been able to turn in time to intercept the enemy. But all he was able to do was turn just in time to see a white-haired, white-robed figure land directly between him and the barrel.

The mysterious shinobi knocked the barrel from the tree branch they stood on and smacked both Naruto and Shikamaru in the face in one movement. Whirling around in a flash of white robes, the figure dove after and easily caught the precious barrel, landing lightly on another branch.

Recoiling from the punch to the face, Naruto whirled to face his new adversary. The familiar blue steel of anger and determination was glowing brightly in his eyes as he snarled down at the person. Whoever this person was, he had just jumped to the top of Naruto's 'to beat the living crap out of' list.

"I guess there was another one we didn't know of," Shikamaru said, his own slow temper beginning to rise as one complication after another arose.

Standing up and turning to face the trio behind him, the person stared coldly upon them. His icy green eyes were doing lightning fast calculations as he studied his enemies. Judging from the ferocious scowl and fast rising chakra on the blonde, Kimimaro guessed that he was the one he'd overheard Orochimaru-sama and Kabuto-san speaking of.

Turning his attention to Tayuya, he said, "You are overdue, Tayuya…Where are the others?"

"Probably dead," Tayuya said, her tone deceptively neutral. "How…how are you here, Kimimaro? Your body--"

"The power of my will is unsurpassable," Kimimaro said, emotionlessly.

"Heh," Tayuya couldn't help but chuckle. That was so like Kimimaro. "Even with one foot in the grave…"

"Yes," the young man said. "I now live the life of an anthology life form. I feel I've touched the border of Orochimaru-sama's dream."

One word caused Naruto's anger to shoot well up into the 'furious beyond comprehension' chart. _Orochimaru!_ This man really was just another underling of that poisonous snake, eh?! And now he had Sasuke!

Resting a hand almost soothingly upon the barrel, Kimimaro trained his patented killer glare upon Tayuya as he said, "You have taken far too long, Tayuya…You've failed this mission."

Tayuya visibly flinched under the glare. Kimimaro, being Orochimaru's former third in command, was still leaps and bounds stronger than her. Even in his last hours, a literal walking corpse, he could kill her without even breaking a sweat. If he was this displeased, it was guaranteed that she was going to die in the near-future. And what was worse, Orochimaru-sama probably wouldn't be too concerned!

"_BASTARD!!_" Naruto yelled, launching himself headlong for Kimimaro. "_GIVE SASUKE **BACK!!!**_"

Shikamaru watched in awe as something happened he had hoped he wouldn't have to see again. Naruto's fury was enough to summon out a sliver of youki. Or at least that's what it vaguely felt like. It still felt humane, but there was a clear demonic taint to the faintly visible chakra that began to glow around the boy's body.

Kimimaro merely picked up the barrel and sprinted away.

Acting against her fears, Tayuya leapt up to intercept the boy as he flew for Kimimaro. But just as she extending her arm to punch him in the face, he suddenly whirled. Latching onto her arm, he spun and hurled her away with a mighty heave.

Despite his fear of what Naruto might do if he lost complete control again, Shikamaru couldn't suppress his smirk at watching the kunoichi be thrown aside like a rag doll. He watched as Naruto gave chase to the white-haired nutcase at a speed that was surprising for such a small body.

Looking over at the girl as she recovered, Shikamaru leapt up to the branch she stood upon. He could see the indecision on her face, no doubt debating with herself whether it would be healthy to give chase with Naruto.

"I wouldn't go doing anything rash," he drawled out. "Naruto is very hot-tempered. You'll seriously regret getting in his way again."

Snapping out of whatever fear-induced trance she'd partially fallen into, she screamed out, "Shut up, fuck-face! I'll do what I--"

She froze her rant as she noticed Shikamaru's shadow racing towards her. Leaping high and far, she studied her opponent carefully for a moment. Then a confident smirk crossed her face as she pulled out her favorite and only weapon, a flute.

* * *

The battle at the bottom of the canyon was fierce, but above all else brutal. Kiba and Sakon were evenly matched for brute strength. But while Kiba was slightly faster than Sakon, thanks in most part to the increasing pain the Oto-nin was experiencing from his earlier wounds, Sakon was a bit more agile. 

When they'd landed in the canyon, Kiba didn't have the time to find the unconscious Hyuuga. The Oto-nin had attacked instantly, forcing combat upon the Inuzuka.

Backing away from the sneering Sakon from their latest exchange of blows, Kiba was forced to kneel down. He was so tired! But from the looks of Sakon, it was hard to tell if any of his attacks had had any lasting damage.

It was like fighting Naruto all over again! No matter how much power and strength he threw out, he just didn't get anywhere.

Running up to him, Akamaru let out a series of barks. Taking a brief check on his chakra reserves, Kiba nodded confirmation to his canine friend. It would take a good portion of their chakra, but it was worth a try.

Flashing through the handseals, Kiba turned Akamaru into a replica of himself. Rushing off in opposite directions, the two Kiba threw themselves into their favorite attack ninjutsu.

"Gatsuuga!" The two land-based wind drills rushed Sakon from opposite sides, too quickly for him to dodge.

But just as they crashed into the Oto-nin, a pair of arms sprouted from his back and shoulders to go with the extra head that was already there. The two halves managed to catch the charging whirlwinds and stop them clean in their tracks. Seeing the opportunity, Kiba threw a fast kick for Sakon's unprotected stomach. But he was once thwarted in his attempt to harm the boy when a foot sprung out of Sakon's stomach and blocked Kiba's kick.

Trying to pull loose, he found himself unable. Sakon grinned at his attempt. "What's the matter, loser? Feeling a little weak?"

Surprising himself, the first thought that raced through his mind was: _what would Naruto do?_ Only the most unpredictable, underhanded, yet brilliant trick that could save his hide in a pinch.

The answer was amazingly simple when it came to him as he glared at the cocky brother.

Kiba spat into Sakon's face.

Yelping in disgust and surprise, Sakon released him as he went to reflexively wipe his face clean. Ukon glanced questioningly at his brother. It was all the distraction that Akamaru needed to break free.

Using Sakon's disorientation to his advantage, Kiba threw the most powerful punch he could into Sakon's chest. What Kiba would never know was that in that moment, he'd just guaranteed his victory. The weakened ribcage of Sakon cracked, almost breaking in various places under the Inuzuka's fist.

Swinging his own fist, Sakon hit Kiba hard in the face, even as he made a pained gasp for air. Rotating on his heel, Sakon turned his body at just the right angle to give Ukon a perfect kick at the transformed Akamaru.

Knocked away easily, Akamaru's Jujin Bunshin form was destroyed as he hit a boulder. As he tried to straighten himself, a sudden fierce pulse of pain raced through Sakon's torso. He reluctantly cradled his chest, tentatively feeling for any broken bones. There were none for now, but he realized something.

"Brother," he said as his Juin Jutsu began covering his body. "We have to finish this quickly."

"Indeed," Ukon agreed happily. Ukon always loved the power they possessed when they entered the Juin Jutsu's second level.

Hurrying over to Akamaru, Kiba was relieved to find his friend still alive. Perhaps a bit more banged up than was healthy, but alive. Akamaru's chakra levels had decreased rapidly however, even with the Hyorogan pill he'd been given earlier.

A sudden tremendous spike in chakra from their enemy drew his attention. Both the dog user and his canine partner stared at the monstrous transformation that Sakon and Ukon had undergone.

"**Now you will die, dog-boy**," Ukon said sneering broadly, only a faint grimace of pain appearing at the edges of his expression.

If Kiba had been anyone else, he might've been a bit more worried than he was. With the gaze of an aspiring shinobi, he saw something he hadn't before. The monster was sagging, his now-extra large shoulders were hanging a bit limply and they were breathing a bit more shallower than they had had been earlier.

Such symptoms usually came from a chest wound. And if they were half as hurt as they seemed to be, then their speed and agility had most certainly decreased!

Digging into his weapons' pouch, Kiba pulled out another pair of Hyorogan pills.

"Akamaru," he said quietly as he held the pill down for the puppy to eat. "Let's try the trick we used on Naruto."

Looking up at Kiba, the puppy's eyes seemed to widen with excitement. Akamaru barked happily before promptly consuming the Hyorogan. Tossing his own in his mouth, Kiba started the handseals.

"**Oh no you don't!**" the monster yelled as it suddenly rushed forward as fast as its injured body would allow.

"Akamaru!" Kiba cried as he continued the handseals.

Without further prompting, the small dog lunged at the monster. As he neared it, Akamaru leapt high into the air and beginning spinning. As the puppy flew over them, a spray of urine coated them.

Crying out in disgust as the stink of settled upon them, Kiba finished his handseals. "Naiyabaito no Jutsu…Inu Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Bursting into a small cloud of smoke, Kiba rushed out of it in his Akamaru form. With loud barks and growls, the two small but ridiculously fast dogs lunged in to take vicious bites and mouthfuls of their enemies.

Ukon reached to grab one them, only to find his wrist locked with the other's chakra enhanced fangs. Seeing his brother's predicament, Sakon went to swat the dog away. The dog released Ukon's wrist and jumped. At the same moment, the other took a bite out of the Sakon's ear and pulled viciously upon his elongated hair. Roaring with pain was all Sakon could do as his chest pains wouldn't allow him the luxury of beating the mongrel to death.

Seeing an opportunity, Ukon took the initiative and transferred himself over into the attacker's body. The puppy, sensing an invader in its body, instantly detached itself from Sakon. Pulling his head to rest on the puppy's narrow shoulder, Ukon leered down hauntingly upon the dog.

"**What are you gonna do now, mongrel?**" Ukon demanded.

The puppy stared him for a moment before the jutsu was dropped, revealing the 'dog' to have been Kiba. He stared in disbelief at the disgusting appendage he'd received.

"Get out of me!" Kiba yelled, throwing a futile punch at Ukon.

Shifting himself to Kiba's opposite shoulder, he grabbed Kiba's punching arm and restrained it. "**Claws and a good sense of smell won't save you from me now that we share the same body, fool**."

That caught Kiba's attention.

"**I just love my ability**," Ukon said, continuing to leer down at his soon-to-be victim. "**I can destroy you piece by piece, cell by cell, where our bodies are merged**."

"Really?" Kiba asked, a bitter smile on his face as inspiration hit him.

That was the only warning Ukon had before Kiba stabbed himself in the torso with a kunai. The pain of the wound hurt both them simultaneously, rivers of blood came gushing out of their mouths.

Ukon was shocked, nearly witless.

"I thought so," Kiba said, continuing to smile bitterly as he watched the pain do its magic on the beast's pointed face.

Just to spite his enemy, Kiba gave the kunai a good twist. The pain was great, the worst he'd suffered for quite some time. It hurt so much that he just wanted to drop dead so it would stop. But his pride wouldn't let him do such a cowardly act.

"**What the hell are you thinking?!**" he managed to scream through the agony.

"Killing…you," Kiba grunted as he yanked the kunai from his self-inflected wound. "Time to…end this!"

Ukon watched in silent horror and disbelief as the bloody blade came racing back towards them. He didn't want to die, not yet! It was with every ounce of spare chakra he could muster that he shoved himself out of the insane Inuzuka's body before the kunai gave them another serious wound.

From his new position on the ground behind Kiba, he watched as the boy's hand froze, probably after delivering the killing strike. Forcing back involuntary shivers of fear, Ukon grimaced as his own version of the first stab wound racked his body with severe pain. His life's blood was rushing freely out of the large wound. If he didn't merge with Sakon, and _very_ soon, he'd bleed to death!

It was at that same moment that a cry of pain from a familiar voice tore its way into Ukon's ears. Sakon was in pain, extreme pain from the sound of it. The sight that beheld him when he turned to find his brother almost made his sickly gray armor for skin pale.

Akamaru had somehow managed to nearly tear one of Sakon's legs off his body!

Ukon could only stare for a moment in shock.

It was this train of thought turned had Ukon let out a roar of pain and fury as he rounded back on Kiba. **"You bastards! I'm gonna kill you!!"**

Turning to face him, Kiba smirked broadly. It was then that Ukon noticed the absence of the second wound on the boy.

"I see you noticed," Kiba said, grinning painfully. "That was a little something a rival of mine taught me…Deception is a shinobi's most useful ability."

Ukon couldn't believe this. It was so ridiculous that it shouldn't have been plausible for it to have happened. Both he and especially Sakon were critically wounded, probably going to die from blood loss in a few short minutes.

Snapping around at that realization, Ukon raced over to Sakon. The brothers were quick to merge together again, with Ukon as the main body. As long as he had the lesser of the two injuries, there was a chance that they could survive.

With renewed, if weakened, strength, Ukon whirled around to face Kiba. Unsheathing a kunai, he dashed forward with all intents to disembowel the boy. He didn't even notice Akamaru lunge forward once again, only to be knocked aside by Sakon. Ukon was going to relish in killing this bastard.

Kiba was very injured now. He could barely find the strength of will to remain standing, much less dodge. He brought one hand up in a meager defense as his other one tried to cover his wound. In the back of his mind, he realized that he was going to die for sure.

There was no way he could stop the brothers now.

A slight shift of wind carried with it a foreign scent. Someone was approaching, fast. It was only that second's warning that allowed him to not collapse out of fright when a black blur suddenly appeared directly in front of him, taking the kunai for him.

"**What the?**" Ukon, Sakon, and Kiba all yelped in surprise.

Ukon stared up at the ugly thing that he'd stabbed. It vaguely resembled a giant ant. Movement underneath the ragged cloak it wore. An arm with a rather wicked-looking blade came into view, lunging for him!

Reflexively leaping away from the puppet, Ukon noticed too late the large figure that suddenly appeared behind him. He was suspended in midair and unable to dodge, flying uncontrollably into the large barrel of the puppet's centerpiece.

"That was very stupid of you freaks," a voice said, a smirk clear in his voice. Turning, Kiba spotted the dark-robed, puppet-master Suna-nin from the Chuunin Exam. Though he couldn't remember his name. "Falling so easily into my trap."

With several flicks of his fingers, the first puppet disassembled itself. Long, narrow blades sprung out of the numerous limbs, hovering threateningly over the puppet that held the Oto-nin trapped within.

"Eat this!" the Suna-nin said, the killing desire in his eyes almost made them glow. "Kurasuri Engeki: Kuro: Higikiki Ippatsu no Jutsu!"

"**Hey! Let me out!**" were Ukon's last words.

Sliding through the small openings of the puppet's body, the blades stabbed themselves straight through Ukon's and Sakon's combined bodies. With an unearthly scream that would haunt Kiba's dreams for weeks to come, the brothers finally died.

"And the play ends," Kankuro practically purred as he slowly stood up straight.

"Where'd you come from?" Kiba asked, finally succumbing to gravity's will. Landing a bit heavier on his knees that he'd have liked, he winced before finding the strength to continue. "Why are you here?"

Rather than face the Konoha-nin he'd just saved, Kankuro quickly withdrew his puppet-blades and dumped the corpse on the ground. Picking up the blades, he walked calmly over to the small river to give the weapons a brief rinse to cleanse them of the blood.

"My team had been sent to Konoha on an ambassadorial mission," Kankuro said as Kiba began to dig through his weapons' pouch for bandages. "But as soon as we arrived, Hokage-sama sent us after you to aid your mission."

"I see," Kiba said as he pulled his jacket off, with Akamaru's help. "…How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to see you trick those bastards," Kankuro said, approval in his voice at Kiba's deception.

"We better hurry," Kiba said after he'd added the dressing and securely tied the bandage in place. It seemed that he would all but useless in the mission should they run across anymore enemies. But that didn't mean that he was going to duck out of the mission, hell no! "The others might need out help."

"Relax," Kankuro said as he started working on the second puppet. "My teammates went ahead, they sensed some pretty intense fighting further on, but they'll handle it."

"Well, I still have a mission to accomplish!" Kiba snapped as he pulled himself to his feet.

It was as he was starting to head over to the canyon wall to climb that Akamaru began barking. Looking over at his canine partner, he spotted the small puppy standing over a mass of cream-colored cloth. What the?

Limping over the bundle, he spotted a familiar figure. Though his back was scorched with burn marks and his body was bruised from the fall into the canyon, his chest was still rising and falling strongly. _Neji? When did he…? _Then he remembered the explosive note on the kunai that had detonated. Neji had been the closest to the explosion. Kiba hadn't noticed the Hyuuga falling since he was too preoccupied with landing safely and then his following battle.

"What happened to him?" Kankuro asked as he stepped up to him.

"I was stupid," Kiba said as he hurried over to Neji and began knocking him about in a rather ungentle manner. "Wake up, Hyuuga! Nap time's over!"

Eyes snapping open, Neji's hand snapped up to attack Kiba. Thankfully catching his wrist, Kiba growled, "There's no time for that, bastard! We need to get back to the others."

Looking about as he sat up cradling his head, Neji spotted Kankuro and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"

Kankuro just let out an exasperated sigh.

* * *

Landing in a large field, the beginning of the plains that covered Rice Country, Kimimaro halted and turned to face his pursuer. The boy was surprisingly fast and seemed to have high endurance to have been able to maintain that level of speed for so long. Setting his precious cargo down, Kimimaro turned to watch the boy descend from a titanic leap out of the trees and skid to halt a short distance away. 

The blonde glared at him with fierce red eyes, crouched over like he was some kind of animal. Kimimaro just studied the boy as he was glared upon. The boy didn't even show the faintest signs of fatigue. Yes, this was truly the boy that Orochimaru-sama had mentioned.

"Tell me something," Kimimaro said, emotionless as ever. "How do you wish to die?"

The boy just continued to glare ferociously. Kimimaro watched the boy, trying to examine what he was feeling. It was chakra, but it felt different from any other chakra he'd ever come across in his life. And it was _powerful!_ Currently it was almost as strong as his own reserves without his beloved Gaia Juin Jutsu.

"_What does Orochimaru want?_" the boy demanded, his voice sounding more bestial than humane. "_WHY IS HE AFTER SASUKE?!_"

"Orochimaru-sama has already created an immortality jutsu," Kimimaro answered after a short pause. "But he still requires time to learn all the jutsu in the world and acquire everything else--"

"_What does that have to **Sasuke?!**_" the blonde interrupted gruffly.

"Immortality for his spirit," Kimimaro said simply. "not his body. So he needs a replacement."

Naruto caught on quickly. "_THAT'S WHY?!_"

"Hai," Kimimaro said simply. Seeing the gaze in the blonde's eyes, he knew exactly what was coming. Manipulating his chakra into his bones, condensing and growing the ones he desired, a pair of bone-blades sharper than any known sword sprouted out of the palms of his hands. "Exactly."

"_I WON'T LET YOU TAKE SASUKE!!!"_ the blonde screamed before he rushed in to attack.

* * *

Gazing upon the destruction that Temari had caused, Shikamaru found a new respect for the girl. As well as a sense of relief that he had her as an ally now. If he had to fight against her now, he knew he'd lose for sure. 

"No problem?" she asked, facing him with a large grin.

"No," he drawled after a moment.

Turning he knelt down and snapped off a small branch. With his one good hand, Shikamaru made himself a quick split for his broken finger.

"What now?" Temari asked as she watched him work.

"I need to find my teammates," Shikamaru said instantly. "Two fell down that gorge over there, and Naruto went on ahead."

"Naruto?" the blonde asked, her gaze instantly alert, guarded, and somehow interested all at once. "He's on this mission too?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru said as he headed over to the canyon. Glancing back, he called back to her. "I'm surprised you still remember his name."

Catching up easily, Temari turned an indignant glare on him. "It's a little hard to forget a blonde demon-container that almost killed my baby brother."

"I guess," Shikamaru drawled again, not very surprised she'd figured out the truth.

Just as they reached the top of the canyon, an unsteady hand appeared. Heaving heavily, a burned and bruised Neji pulled an unconscious Kiba up over the edge. Jumping over to them, Shikamaru knelt down to examine the Inuzuka as Temari went to talk with her younger brother as he released the anxious puppy he was holding.

"What happened?" the Nara asked.

"Kiba and this Suna-nin killed the guy we fell down there with," Neji reported as he massaged some feeling back into shoulder. "Kiba fainted halfway back up the canyon."

"He'll live?"

"He should," Neji said as he adjusted the Inuzuka's jacket, revealing a bloody bandage on his thigh. "He did a good job bandaging his wound, but…"

"He's off the mission," Shikamaru finished for Neji. "Where were you during all this?"

"I…" Neji turned his face away, almost unable to admit it. But he had to or he'd be showing disrespect to his superior officer. "I had been knocked unconscious…Where's Naruto?"

"He went ahead," Shikamaru said quietly as he glanced over at the Suna-nin who were quietly conversing. "But I think he'll need help."

"Let's go then," Neji said, already bending down to pick up Kiba.

"Right."

* * *

(Author's Note) I actually kind of like the changes I'd made in this chapter. Yes, most of it is the same as canon, but I think I changed the important stuff to make it fit a bit better. On that note, I have to say that I'm a little disappointed and discouraged by the disgust that many of you showed in my last chapter. Due to that, I'm starting to reconsider completely rewriting that chapter and pieces of this one. However, this is only a consideration so don't get your hopes up. I'll let you guys know should I decide to do so. Do you guys know that you're getting harder and harder to please? Just an observation based on your responses of Chapter 33. 

One last thing, if these last two chapters have been lacking in what you've guys been wanting, this next one should hopefully make up for it. Unfortunately, most of it will be just straight fighting but probably the most intense of the entire story at this point.

_Taren Ken--Mach Punch_ Basically a series of super-speed punches, greatly exaggerated in my story. But I like it this way!

_Kurasuri Engeki: Kuro: Higikiki Ippatsu_--Puppet Theater: Black Secret Technique: First Strike 

Anthology life form--a life form consisting only of the consciousness

Gaia Juin Jutsu--Earth Curse Seal (Kimimaro)

Next chapter: _He has to fight one last adversary to retrieve his teammate and his wrath has finally been unleashed. But can he survive against an opponent who can shrug off each attack he makes? The Suna and Konoha teams are not too far away, but can they stop the:_ Battle of Valley's End


	35. Battle of Valley's End

**In the words of The Gemini Project, this is going to be EPIC!! ;)**

**Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan**

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 35--Battle of Valley's End

Readying himself, Kimimaro watched as the enraged blonde charged him. The speed of the rush was respectable, even for himself, a taijutsu specialist. But he knew that the boy would be easily defeated, simply because he was attacking in a rage. Another reason was because thanks to his cursed bloodline, Kimimaro's body was completely unbreakable to physical attacks.

Dashing in and throwing a fast punch, Naruto missed completely as Kimimaro ducked under his arm. Stepping forward and sweeping his arm along Naruto's side, the bone-blade that was jutting out of his palm slashed at the unprotected skin of Naruto. Before he could recoil, Kimimaro sent a hard kick back into Naruto's shoulder.

The blow sent him careening across the grassy field for a short distance. Slowly standing up and ignoring the ever-growing pain in his body, Kimimaro watched as the boy skidded to a stop. The boy should have a broken or dislocated shoulder after that blow, he had felt the bone give way under his foot upon contact.

Shivering as his rage grew, Naruto unsteadily pushed himself into a kneeling position. Turning to face his enemy again, a numbing pain made itself known to him as he tried to move his arm.

"You possess great chakra potential," Kimimaro said, earning an evil red-eyed glare from Naruto. "Are you perhaps the boy called 'Naruto?'"

"…_Yes_," Naruto growled out as he stood up. Reaching up, he jerked his shoulder back into its proper position. The only thing that hinted at any pain he may have felt was a faint hiss. Bringing his hands up, he bit down on his thumbs hard enough to draw blood. Hurriedly scribbling something onto his palms, he returned his attention to Kimimaro. "_I swear that I'm going to take you down!_"

Sprinting forward, Naruto began to flash through handseals. Kimimaro watched with slight interest as the boy called forth a jutsu. He was reluctantly curious to see why Orochimaru-sama considered this boy such a threat. Yes, unusually high chakra potential was one thing. But knowing how to and being _able_ to effectively use that potential were two entirely separate things.

Erupting from the earth and charging up behind the blonde as soon as he finished the handseals, a colossal face of stone came rushing at Kimimaro at surprisingly great speeds. Leaping high and far away, Kimimaro glanced back to see where the blonde had gotten to. It was at this moment he bore witness to a blinding flash of light and deafening eruption of sound.

Landing awkwardly on his feet, the last Kaguya reflexively tried to rub the burning light from his eyes. In his ears was a high-pitched, overpowering ringing sound, blocking out all other sounds of the landscape. _A brief but powerful pulse of chakra designed __to blind the enemy's sight. The sound is used to deafen the enemy, and thus open large gaps in their defenses…Clever_, he deduced.

Dropping to a crouch on the ground, Kimimaro closed his temporarily useless eyes and opened his chakra awareness. The blonde was rushing him again, head-on, with some type of handheld jutsu containing high amounts of chakra.

Bringing one of his bone-blades forward, he jabbed at the blonde's chakra signature. With a burst of speed, the blonde phased out from in front of him and reappeared to his side. Swinging his other hand in that direction, hoping to remove the boy's head, he was once again disappointed. The blonde disappeared, reappearing behind him and lunging forward. Throwing his leg back, his kick missed as the boy disappeared for a third time.

Sensing Naruto directly above him, Kimimaro could only duck his head down. It proved to be futile, as he ended up positioning his face directly into the downward arc of Naruto's kick. The force of the kick was enough to throw Kimimaro backward, but the power behind it was pitifully weak compared to Kimimaro's usual standards.

Opening his eyes cautiously as he recoiled, he spotted a vague orange-black blur once again lunging forward. Kimimaro's chest was exposed and unprotected. Naruto didn't need a second's notice to take advantage of the opening. As he jabbed the blue sphere forward, Kimimaro flashed his chakra into his chest. Bone spikes erupted from his chest in an attempt to halt the boy's advance.

But Naruto didn't seem to care about the spikes that his hand was racing towards. Instead he continued his thrust. The bones of Kimimaro's ribs slashed open Naruto's hand, sleeves, and forearm, leaving long trails of peeled flesh and blood. But the jutsu still hit.

With a blast of funnel winds, Kimimaro was blown backwards. Powerful chakra was slashing through his chest where the jutsu had landed. An involuntary cry of pain tore its way out of Kimimaro's throat.

After flopping across the landscape like a rag doll, he finally came to a halt with his face dragging in the dirt. He just laid there for a moment as he reevaluated his opinion on the blonde. Whatever jutsu that Naruto had just hit him with was very powerful. He could feel the damage the chakra had done to his organs, a pain made many times sharper with his ailing body. He could not afford to take another one of those jutsus, and it was clearly Naruto's ace.

Racing footsteps drew his attention back to Naruto. He could faintly hear the blonde yelling as the ringing in his ears was finally beginning to fade.

"_First, I'm going to smash you_," the blonde was saying, his voice sounded almost animalistic. It eerily reminded Kimimaro of his associate Juugo, especially when he went insane with bloodlust. "_Then I'm going to chop you up into little pieces. And finally I'll blast those pieces into ashes, you freak!!_"

Using the blonde's voice to locate him, Kimimaro jerked his leg up at the fast approaching figure. Caught by surprise, Naruto ran straight into the spike that sprouted from Kimimaro's heel. Naruto bowed over onto the foot as he momentarily lost upper-body strength from the serious abdomen injury.

"You are far too cocky," Kimimaro observed as he withdrew his foot. With practiced ease, he swung himself back up onto his feet. As he did so, he brought the heel spike around in an attempt to behead the blonde.

It was only Naruto's collapse from pain that saved him from death. However, he was not spared entirely. Seeing the spike fast approaching from the lower portion of his field of vision, Naruto turned his head as far to the side as he could. But it wasn't far enough.

The spike bit into his cheek, cutting a gouging path upwards, through his left eye, and out just above his eyebrow. The same strike also sent his beloved headband flying through the air. But that was the last thing on Naruto's mind, if he even noticed.

Screaming out in agony, Naruto's hands leapt up to his fatally wounded eye. He dropped onto his back, his earlier abdomen wound long forgotten as he felt hot blood gushing out of the wound on his face.

Kimimaro watched impassively as the blonde's pained cries continued for several moments after he stood up fully. Indeed, this boy was truly cause for Orochimaru-sama's worry. If this boy was given the time and proper training, he might even be able to defeat Orochimaru-sama in the future. Too bad for him Kimimaro was going to kill him now…

"Boys like you," Kimimaro said as he walked up to the thrashing boy. "aren't meant to live long as shinobi." As he was speaking, he reached up and pulled his protruding humorous bone from his arm, forming it into a sword. "You're a disgrace…a disgrace that shall now be extinguished."

Raising the bone-sword up in preparation for the final strike, he had only a small growl of fury as a warning. The next thing he knew, Kimimaro was sailing haphazardly through the air to the side from a sudden and violent gust of wind. Looking up at the source after he'd returned to ground, Kimimaro felt vague tendrils of an emotion he'd long-since grown to ignore. Fear.

Terrifying red chakra was racing wildly around the convulsing boy's body. Kimimaro couldn't determine if the strange energy was strengthening or weakening the boy due his random and seemingly involuntary cries of anguish and pain.

Gluing himself to the sandy dirt underneath him, Kimimaro stood up and stared over at the boy. He was trying to determine what it was that he was feeling. The chakra was powerful, much more powerful than either his own or what he'd earlier believed was the boy's limit. Yet it was obviously unnatural, so it probably carried with it some unforeseeable consequence for it usage.

So this must be what Orochimaru-sama was so worried about…If this boy can draw upon this much chakra when he's been badly injured, how much can he summon when at his maximum…? I must kill him now.

Slowly the winds died down as the boy's screams and convulsions died away. Kimimaro just continued walking forward at an increasing relaxed pace. Stopping when he was just upon the boy, he hefted up the bone-sword for the final thrust into the boy's heart.

"KONOHA SENPUU!!!"

With a sudden and resounding crack of flesh breaking bone, Kimimaro was sent tumbling to the side once again with a broken jawbone and cracked neck. Mending the skeletal wounds easily, he looked over to where the unexpected blows had come from. As he was standing up, he spotted a green-clad shinobi with a horrendous bowl cut hairstyle. The shinobi was standing protectively in front of the thrashing blonde.

"And you are?" Kimimaro asked simply, not really caring.

"Konohagakure's Green Beast reincarnated," the green shinobi said, his voice sharp with anger. "I am Rock Lee."

Despite keeping his attention focused on Kimimaro, Lee cast a worried glance at Naruto. He could see the blood running freely between the blonde's fingers, coming from his eye most likely. No wonder he was on the ground. No one would be able to take such an attack lightly.

Throwing another glance around at Kimimaro, Lee spotted that odd looking barrel ahead of him. It had thick black smoke billowing fiercely off the lid as though it were about to burst into flames.

"L-Lee?" a strained voice said weakly from behind him. It was Naruto. "What a-are you d-doing here?"

Glancing back at Naruto, Lee almost smiled. Truly, Naruto-kun was the very embodiment of the Power of Youth. There he was, very badly wounded and all but removed from the battle, and he was trying to climb to his feet. He had one hand clamped firmly over the mess that remained of his left eye, but blood continued to seep down his cheek and arm.

"I was summoned by the Flames of Youth," Lee said, turning back to face the enemy shinobi. Taking a serious tone of voice, he continued, "You guys were taking too long, and I felt I was more than properly healed to help."

"Arigato, Lee," Naruto said, finally making it back onto his feet, tears of pain running freely down his remaining bright blue eye. "I owe you my life."

Before Lee could reply, a sudden loud explosion tore its way through the field. It drew the attention of the three shinobi instantly. Both Naruto and Lee dropped into defensive stances, prepared for the worst. But when the smoke cleared, they saw a familiar yet alien figure standing where the smoking barrel had been.

The figure had sickly gray-black skin with a long mane of navy blue hair. Because the figure's back was to them, the proud Uchiha clan emblem was clearly visible. After only a moment, the gray skin faded away. The blue hair shortened and turned black. In the figure's place stood the missing Uchiha Sasuke.

"…Sasuke?" Naruto staring at his missing teammate with his one good eye.

Sasuke didn't seem to hear him. Instead the Uchiha brought his hands up to stare at, as if in disbelief. Naruto was only a moment away from yelling at the last Uchiha, running over and hugging the bastard, attacking him, or even all three, when the wind shifted. With it came a familiar but different scent that was clearly Sasuke's, yet it smelled as though it had…gained something.

"Hey, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto yelled out. "What are you doing? _Come on!_ Let's go back home!"

For the briefest of moments, Sasuke seemed to flinch upon hearing Naruto's voice. Then he simply bent slightly backwards and began laughing. Laughing?! What was he thinking? What was going on here?!

"HEY!!" Naruto screamed out, his anger rising fast again. "ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME, _BASTARD?!! _WHAT ARE YOU _DOING?!!_"

Sasuke suddenly froze. Lowering his arms slowly, the Uchiha turned stiffly around and looked straight at Naruto with a solemn expression. Then a familiar arrogant smirk crossed his face. Lifting a hand, he beckoned ever-so-slightly for Naruto to follow. Then he turned and abruptly sprinted away.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING, _BASTARD?!_" Naruto screamed, instantly giving chase. He paid Kimimaro not even a second's glance as he ran past him.

As soon as Naruto was past him, Kimimaro turned to face his last remaining adversary. It went by unspoken agreement between the two opponents that they would finish the battle that Kimimaro and Naruto started.

* * *

A little later… 

They watched from the sidelines in awe at what was transpiring. The entire landscape had been covered an ocean of sand, in a less than subtle attempt to drown the monster that had once been a human being.

Even if they'd all been at the peak of their strengths and fully recovered, they would've been highly reluctant to interfere with the battle. Not even now while the monster was momentarily pinned when he tried to stab a colossal wedge-like spear through the teddy bear-looking sand defense that Gaara had formed.

It came as an absolute relief to Temari and Kankuro when the oversized spear fragmented and fell apart about a quarter of the way through the shield. Kiba, who'd woken up shortly before they stumbled upon the battle, was staring at Gaara with disbelief openly. Though Neji would never admit it, he shared the Inuzuka's awe completely.

Shikamaru merely glanced over at Temari and said, "I see your brother has improved a little bit over the past few weeks."

"A little?" Kiba gawked. "I'd say he improved a lot!"

"Of course he did," Kankuro said, reluctant pride in his voice. "He is the son of the Yondaime Kazekage, and, more importantly, my little brother."

"'More importantly'?" Temari snapped, narrowing a warning glare at him. "What's _that_ suppose to mean, Kankuro?"

"Only that without my brotherly support, he'd not have gotten very--" he was interrupted halfway through by Temari's fan smashing into his face.

"You are so full of shit, it's embarrassing," Temari growled to Kankuro's dazed form.

"I swear," Kiba said, now staring at the siblings. "all you people are crazy."

Before Temari could turn her weapon of choice on Kiba, Neji said, "It's over."

It was thanks to his Byakugan, Neji was able to spot the sudden fluctuations in that monster's chakra coils. The black chakra that was overflowing the monster's reserves was weakening at an increasing rate. Then there was the damage to its internal organs. He could see that both its lungs were cut, and blood was slowly leaking inward. The heart was cut up as well, only much more severely. The wounds were so severe that Neji was privately amazed that the creature was still on its feet.

But just as that thought entered his mind, the black chakra disappeared in a wisp. The figure gave a strangled choke, before collapsing onto the ground. The monstrous mutations that had overrun his body retracted back into his body as his skin returned to a more humane color.

Thanks to how close he was to Kimimaro, only Gaara heard his last words, "For…give me…Orochimaru…sama."

"We would've been beaten," Gaara said, almost as emotionless as always. But, for those that knew him well, they'd have heard his fear and uncertainty.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Gaara returned his sand back into its gourd. With how much chakra he had been forced to use in this battle, Gaara knew he would not be of as much help should they have to fight again soon. Even with his great chakra reserves and fast recovery rate, it would take him an hour or two for him to be battle-ready again.

"Boy, did you guys get lucky!" a loud, obnoxious, if slightly pained, voice called out from the tree line. Both Gaara and Lee turned with moderate surprise to see their comrades had already caught up to them. "That was some battle, Sabaku-san!"

Ignoring Kiba's shouts, Shikamaru walked hesitantly over to Gaara. Looking closely at the boy, Shikamaru couldn't help but wonder how this solemn boy was the same lunatic demon-container that had tried to destroyed Konoha. Would wonders never cease?

"Can you walk?" he asked. If Gaara could still use at least some chakra and sand, he could be a big help later if they had to fight again.

"…Yes," Gaara said quietly.

"Where are Naruto and Sasuke?" Neji asked glaring slightly at Lee. "And aren't you supposed to be recovering?"

"Gomennasai!" Lee said, rubbing his head in embarrassment. Quickly growing serious, he turned and pointed, "Sasuke-kun took off in that direction, Naruto-kun followed him. But Naruto-kun was very badly injured, so I don't know if he'll be able to stop Sasuke alone."

"Then we better hurry."

* * *

It hurt. It hurt _so_ _very much!_ His left eye was completely useless now. Though his fast healing had managed to stop the blood loss, the eye itself was just a lump of ruined flesh held in place behind his eyelid. 

It had been awkward, running with the use of only one eye. His field of vision had been effectively sliced in half. Though his senses of smell and hearing had helped to rebalance him and allow him to run after his fleeing teammate without too much hindrance, it just wasn't the same as having a pair of eyes.

Up ahead he could hear the growing roar of a waterfall, and Sasuke was clearly heading towards it. As he drew closer to the river and waterfall, the crisp scent of dew and freshness hung heavily on the surrounding woodlands and grasses.

Springing mightily out of the trees, he landed in a stumbling movement on a large rock formation. Despite how much his other senses may help him, it would take a lot of practice for him to learn how to judge distances now.

As he took a quick observation of his present surroundings, he was fast to recognize his location. He'd learned about it in his early years at the Academy. He now stood upon the top of the great statue monument of the Shodai Hokage. On the other side of the great river that divided them proudly stood the monument of Uchiha Madara. The waterfall between the two of them roared, equally as proud as the two monoliths that it eternally separated.

But Naruto's gaze was drawn to the black dressed figure on top of the Madara's monument. Standing as arrogantly as ever on the monument's head was Uchiha Sasuke. The look on his face was hard to discern from the distance and Naruto's vision impairment, but Naruto could've sworn that Sasuke was smiling.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled, his voice carrying above the roar of the waterfall. "…You're late!"

"…What are you doing?!" Naruto yelled. He couldn't exactly think very straight, not after everything that he and the others had gone through in the last few days. He was irritated, homesick, and whatever game Sasuke was playing was not helping his mood in the least. "Why did you leave?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

Sasuke just stared at his teammate with that ever-present sneer. The look in his eyes was that of restrained excitement and overwhelming confidence in himself. He knew for sure now. He could beat his rival now, even if he pulled out his demon's power. He would win, for the power he'd glimpsed in his body earlier had been enormous!

"What do I want?" Sasuke said, drawling conceitedly. "I thought that'd be obvious by now, Naruto."

Seeing Naruto's less than amused grimace, he finally took into account the still-bloody wound on Naruto's face. _So **that** was why he stumbled_, he realized, feeling somewhat disappointed. Sasuke knew Naruto would fight him to stop him from leaving. He had planned on this battle since he'd made his decision. But if Naruto was just freshly injured, not given the time to heal properly, his victory over his rival would be for naught.

"ANSWER ME!!" Naruto shouted, crouching down to attack almost instinctively.

Sasuke just smirked before answering. "We all have own paths to follow now, Naruto. You have yours, Sakura will find hers, and I've chosen mine…If you or anyone else tries to further stop me from walking my path, I will kill all who interfere."

Sasuke's face and tone were devoid of emotion as he said that. And though he still wore that sneer, Naruto could somehow tell it was forced. Sasuke, he somehow knew, didn't truly mean what he'd said, but he'd more than willingly try to prove it.

"I'll give you one last chance to come home peacefully!" Naruto yelled out, the last strand of his patience close to snapping. "After this, I'll bring you back by force. Even if I have to break your arms and legs!"

"Really?" was Sasuke's reply, his sneer turning into a smirk. This was what he'd been waiting for. "You can give it a try!"

That did it.

"SASUKE!!!"

"NARUTO!!!"

With those battle-cries, the pair leapt from the monuments that they stood upon. As they sprinted forward across the river, Naruto's Oboro sprang to life around him. Sasuke just smirked as his matured Sharingan flared brightly in his eyes.

Ignoring the overlapping chakra signature that was running towards him, he focused on the body's movements. No longer did he just see a cloud of chakra that faintly resembled human shape. He could almost make out the body now, but he still couldn't see through the chakra layers.

That was how he could see Naruto's arm arching back in preparation for a strong punch to the face as they neared each other. He threw his own punch, aiming for Naruto's new blind spot. But it caught him slightly by surprise when Naruto was able to catch his fist. Catching Naruto's fist as well, the two boys strained against the other. They were trying to pull their captured fist back, while maintain their grip on the fist that they caught.

After a few moments of this tug-of-war, Sasuke unexpectedly released Naruto's hand. Bringing the leg of the same side up, he caught him by surprise when he managed to kick him in the gut.

Naruto was forced to release the Uchiha as the power of the kick threw him bouncing across the river's surface like a skipping stone. Sasuke gave chase instantly. Somehow reorienting himself, Naruto turned his tumble into an exaggerated slide, spraying water as he went.

Guessing what Sasuke was going to do, Naruto threw a fast punch back the way he'd come without even being able to see properly. He guessed correctly as his fist collided with Sasuke's heel. Jumping apart, Naruto flashed through four handseals that had become permanently ingrained into his memory.

"Kaze Kiwa!" Naruto snapped out, swinging the deadly jutsu to where he sensed Sasuke trying to sneak up on him.

"Kuso!" Sasuke growled as he was forced to retreat a step to avoid being slashed. Jumping high and far away before Naruto could locate him, Sasuke went through a series of handseals that he cherished because his father had taught them to him. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

Blowing a raging ball of fire from his mouth, Sasuke smirked as he watched Naruto take the most obvious route to safety. He released the chakra to his feet and dropped under the water's surface as the fireball bore down on him. The fireball exploded when it hit, throwing up spray that took most of its power away.

Landing easily on the river's surface, he waited patiently for the blonde to resurface. Sasuke knew he was giving Naruto time to plan out his next move, but that was alright. He always did enjoy a good challenge in his fights.

* * *

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Kiba demanded. 

There they were, watching the fight from the Shodai Hokage's monument, and none of the able-bodied fighters were moving to help! If he'd not been as badly injured as he was, Kiba would've rushed in as soon as he realized Naruto was in trouble.

The Uchiha-teme had the advantage simply because Naruto was incapable of using his left eye. This had been made plainly obvious when Sasuke had been able to hit him in the blind spot. Though he knew Naruto was quite able to sense chakra, he also knew that Sasuke's speed would be too great for that advantage to be of much use.

He turned an angry glare upon all his comrades. Of his six comrades, he knew only Neji, Lee, and Gaara would've stood much chance against the prime and uninjured Sasuke. However, Neji was a bit bruised and moving stiffly after his fall into the canyon. Lee had just gotten out of the hospital, so he'd be unable to fight to his fullest potential. And he could sense that Gaara had lost a great portion of his stamina in that fight with that bone-freak. But, together, they should easily be able to win right?

"In case you haven't noticed, Kiba, " Shikamaru said, casting an annoyed glare at him. "even if we wanted to, they would not allow us to interfere."

"What do you mean '_allow_'?" he snapped.

"He means that that fight holds some importance to Naruto-san and the Uchiha-teme," Temari snapped back, her eyes never leaving the battle.

"Yes," Neji said slowly. He vaguely recognized the light that shone so brightly in the two boys' eyes. "This is the only chance that they'd been given to do this."

"A battle between two splendid shinobi to determine, once and for all, whose fiery prowess shines brighter!" Lee exclaimed, tears close to his eyes he shouted out. "Gai-sensei, you are missing a most magnificent match!"

As he realized just what they were talking about, Kiba understood. Yes, of course they'd turn a mission to bring Sasuke back to Konoha into a rivalry battle. Simply because back in Konoha they would not have been able or allowed to fight to their fullest abilities without someone suddenly jumping in to stop them.

"Yes," Neji said, nodding to Lee. "but the moment Naruto starts faltering, we're going in."

"No," Gaara said, sternly. Feeling the others staring at him, he continued, "Uzumaki-san will not lose so easily."

* * *

Fifty blondes surfaced rather than one. Sasuke only raised an eyebrow when he realized that they weren't using the Oboro anymore. Perhaps Naruto didn't have the spare chakra to sustain it anymore? 

As if to contradict the Uchiha's thoughts, the blondes began a long series of handseals. Sasuke watched as chakra began swirling in the water under their feet, gathering into vague shapes.

"_Suiton!_" all the Naruto yelled. "_Tajuu Suiryuudan no Jutsu!_"

For each blonde, a water dragon sprouted from the river and lunged Sasuke. Nimbly dodging each dragon with a backwards leap, Sasuke found himself standing dangerously close to the edge of the waterfall.

"_Suiton!_" a single Naruto voice called out. Sasuke glanced back in time to see the extra blondes disappear in a small puffs of smoke. "_Ijoufu Suiryuudan no Jutsu!!_"

The largest water dragon that any of the collected shinobi would ever see came rising to life out of the water. It threw its head back and let out a deafening roar before bending down and lunging for Sasuke.

Jumping high into the air, Naruto landed easily on the monstrous dragon's forehead as it dove for its target. Despite himself, Sasuke couldn't help but gawk at the water beast that was bearing down on him. How could Naruto create such a _gigantic_ water dragon? Hell, how did he even _know_ that jutsu?!

Snapping back to reality as the dragon was almost upon him, Sasuke turned and sprinted for the waterfall's edge. He didn't even hesitate before he leapt far from the edge, trying to reach the safety of the bottom of the valley. Turning to watch the dragon, Sasuke realized too late the mistake he made.

The dragon reared upward momentarily before diving down after him. It bit down on him, catching him securely in its watery jaws. He was completely helpless as the dragon turned its dive away from the river and plunged itself headfirst into the valley wall. Upon impact, the dragon exploded into a shower of rain and mist.

Landing easily on the convulsing river's surface after he'd jumped free of the dragon he'd been riding, Naruto watched as the excessive water fell back into the river. He couldn't see Sasuke, but he could sense him. The Uchiha had been driven partially into the rock of the valley wall, leaving an obvious crater.

Hurrying over to the shore, Naruto finally released the chakra that was holding him suspended on the surface. Collapsing to his hands and knees, Naruto fought to get his breath back. That suiton jutsu took practically all his remaining chakra out of him, almost as much as two thousand Kage Bunshins. But if he were honest with himself, Naruto was absolutely amazed that he'd been even able to summon that much chakra without some demonic aid, let alone had the control to wield it!

Chuckling erupted from the rock wall above him. Straining to look up, he spotted Sasuke as he pulled himself out of his crater. Crawling over his body was the vaguely familiar flame pattern of the curse seal. That was when he sensed it, a sudden _drastic_ spike in chakra potential from Sasuke.

Jumping almost gracefully down to river's shore, Sasuke landed several paces away from Naruto. The sneer he had been wearing earlier was back and larger than ever.

"I'm not even hurt," Sasuke said, his red Sharingan staring down at Naruto's single blue eye. "and you're almost out of breath…Don't tell me that's all you can do. I was just starting to really enjoy myself."

Snorting at Sasuke's cocky attitude, Naruto growled, "Isn't that suppose to be _my_ line?"

"Maybe if you were in my position," Sasuke answered, his sneer growing.

Pushing himself to his feet, Naruto dropped into a defensive stance as he waited for Sasuke to move. But his opponent just continued to stare, his sneer turning into a knowing smirk.

"You shouldn't have done that jutsu," he observed. "This won't be much of a fight anymore."

"Yeah?" Naruto snapped, shifting to an offensive stance. "Well, you should know me well enough to know that I hate giving up."

"You're going to need a lot more than determination to win this!" Sasuke said, dashing forward and kicking Naruto powerfully in the chin. The sudden pain and unexpectedly fast attack had Naruto almost completely unable to defend himself as he sailed higher into the air.

Suddenly he sensed Sasuke below him. The Uchiha was poking him gently in the back, letting Naruto know he was there. Rhetorically speaking, Sasuke said, "You said I should make my own jutsu, didn't you? …Tell me what you think of this one!"

Then he struck, once again aiming for Naruto's blind spot. But this time Naruto was more prepared. He brought his arm up just in time to block the vicious kick to his side. Sasuke smirked underneath him, it was working like when he used it against Sakon! Using Naruto's shove to propel himself, Sasuke whirled around and slammed his fist into Naruto's throat.

Gagging as his air pipe collapsed momentarily, Naruto couldn't stop Sasuke as he spun around again and punched him in the chest. The blow was strong enough to knock any air in his lungs out, forcing his air pipe open. Rendered unable to move, Naruto could only watch as Sasuke performed the final ritual kick to his abdomen. The kick, coupled with Naruto's return to the ground, was almost powerful enough to crush his spine.

Catching himself before he fell to the ground and skidded away, Sasuke was able to spring lightly away. Looking up as soon as he came to a halt, Sasuke saw Naruto grasping his stomach and convulsing awkwardly with strangled cries of pain.

"I call it the Shishi Rendan," he said blandly, pride welling up inside him. Where a few months ago he might have believed that his Rendan was unbeatable, he was now humble enough to admit that it only truly worked so well because Naruto hadn't expected it. If there was a second time, Naruto would be prepared to counter it. "Quite superior to your Uzumaki Naruto Rendan, isn't it?"

Naruto made no response. He only rolled over and awkwardly climbed to his knees, head bowed down and resting in the dirt.

"I must admit that I'm disappointed, Naruto," Sasuke said, sneering. "I was truly hoping for a more challenging fight from you. But if this is the best I can get, oh well. Time to end this."

* * *

"That's it," Kankuro said, fed up with waiting. "I'm going!" 

"Me too," Lee said, preparing to jump down the canyon walls.

"I'm with you," Temari said, pulling her fan out as Neji began walking forward.

"It's about time!" Kiba growled from where he lay on the rock head.

Lee and Kankuro were actually in midair, just inches off the ground, when they were suddenly halted by thick strands of sand. The sand ensnared them and yanked them back behind the shinobi. Gaara chose to ignore them, continuing to watch the losing fight for the boy who'd beaten him.

"What are you doing, Gaara-san!" Lee demanded, sounding every bit as indignant as Kankuro looked. "We need to help Naruto-san!"

"Not yet," Shikamaru said. It was only when Lee and Kankuro glanced over at the Nara that they saw his shadow had captured Temari and Neji, freezing them in place.

"'Not yet!'" Kiba yelled. "Are you listening to yourself?! 'Not yet!'"

"He isn't out of the fight yet," Shikamaru said, turning a reproachful look onto the Inuzuka.

"Wh-What are you talking about?!" Kankuro asked, his tone just barely respectful.

"It's happening again," Gaara said quietly, watching Naruto closely. "Just like in our fight…He was cornered…completely overwhelmed…and about to die."

Glancing at the Suna-nin, Shikamaru nodded. He could also see the warning signs.

"What are you talking about?" Neji asked, his Byakugan flaring in his anger.

A sudden powerful gust of wind hit them, almost knocking them off their feet. Shikamaru quickly released Temari and Neji and glued himself to the rock, along with the others. Except Lee who had to hold onto Kankuro to keep from being blown away. Then they spotted the waves of chakra erupting from the downed blonde, making his body appear as though it were glowing.

"That," Shikamaru and Gaara said, but their voices were lost to the winds.

* * *

Caught by surprise, Sasuke was blown clear to the other side of the valley. He made yet another crater into the rock wall upon impact. Pushing himself out of the crater, Sasuke forced himself to stand. But the wind was so powerful that it was like wading through a river. 

Shielding his eyes from the winds, he gazed at the sudden tornado's center. Naruto was slowly standing up, still clearly grasping his stomach but it seemed less of an injury now. Carried by the winds were furious, animalistic growls that resembled an angry dog.

The chakra washing off the blonde was enormous, but nowhere near as much as what he'd used in the invasion battle. But it was certainly more than powerful enough to be clearly visible to the naked eye. He watched as the flaming silhouette condensed down around his body, taking the shape of a tailless kitsune.

As this happened, Naruto finally lifted his face. What Sasuke saw was a pair of bright red, slitted eyes that conveyed a level of fury and bloodlust that would've terrified him if he were a lesser being.

"_Sasuke!_" even his voice sounded different, bestial and deadly. "_I've had enough of this!!_"

When the winds suddenly vanished, Sasuke almost stumbled forward. But he paid it little mind as his eyes tracked Naruto's blurred form. The boy was sprinting across the river so fast that he was leaving a trail of spray and mist behind him.

Ducking under the boy's initial lunge, he whirled around to plant a kick into Naruto's back. He missed as the blonde bounded up the cliff for a short ways. Abruptly turning around, Naruto dashed headlong into Sasuke's back. The powerful blow sent him plummeting into the ground below.

He had just enough time to push himself up onto his hands and knees when Naruto was beside him. The blonde threw a vicious kick that landed solidly into his stomach. The kick sent Sasuke flying through the air. Ignoring the pain, Sasuke rolled in midair to watch as the blonde sprinted across the river underneath him.

What is that?! It's not youki, yet it seems to have the same effects on Naruto's body. A **lot** more speed, strength, and chakra potential!…What **is** he?!

Flashing through handseals, Sasuke launched a fast Goukakyuu at the running blonde. Obscured by his jutsu, he was unable to watch as Naruto flashed through his own handseals. Forming a tornado of wind around his body before, Naruto jumped powerfully up towards the Uchiha and the approaching fireball. Sasuke watched amazed as his Katon jutsu suddenly seemed to explode with overwhelming power as the fires met the winds.

Then a flaming missile came rushing out of the back of the fireball towards him. Thinking fast, Sasuke formed the Faiatama in both hands. With one hand, he caught the missile as it finally reached him. Thanks to the fire chakra that shielded his hand, he wasn't harmed. Rolling to the side of the missile as it began to lose strength, Sasuke thrust his free hand into the flaming mass.

His punch knocked Naruto, and thus the missile, awkwardly the side. The winds fueling the jutsu and the stolen flames died down somewhat before completely vanishing as the blonde struck and sunk below the river's surface. Landing on the water himself, Sasuke let out a sigh of relief. That flame missile of Naruto's had him a little worried for a moment.

Bursting out of the water with a large spray, Naruto was little more than a faint orange-black blur as he sped towards his opponent. Seeing the look in Naruto's eye, Sasuke knew he wasn't playing around this time. Utilizing all the speed and power then Juin Jutsu gave him, he leapt away from where he stood as Naruto reached it, arm already descending and the punch to the water threw up more spray. Springing forward, Sasuke rushed him in a similar fashion.

Bouncing back and forth as they sought to hit the other while dodging attacks, the boys' bodies were lost from sight momentarily from all the mist and water they were kicking up in their lightning fast movements. Then Sasuke finally landed the first hit.

It sent Naruto sliding across the river as he somehow was able to remain on his feet and floating. Dashing up to him again, Sasuke proceeded to pummel his teammate relentlessly. Bringing up his arms to block as best he could, Naruto used the second's withdrawal of his hand to escape in a surge of speed. Even with his Sharingan tracking and predicting Naruto's every movement, the speed Naruto was traveling at rivaled his own. A speed that he wasn't used to countering against. That was how Naruto was able to land a strong kick to Sasuke's back when he reappeared.

The kick sent Sasuke spinning around to face his teammate involuntarily. As he spun, Sasuke threw out his fist in hopes to clobbering Naruto. Instead the elusive blonde dropped to the river's surface, planting his hands and shoulders firmly to it before swinging his feet up. He caught Sasuke in the stomach and sent him flying to the air. Launching himself off the river with just a simple pulse of chakra, Naruto connected his knee to Sasuke's gut.

Bending over almost unnaturally upon impact as his breath rushed out his lungs, Sasuke rendered completely unable to block the double hammer blow to his back that sent him plummeting down to the river. Recovering in time, Sasuke spared himself a rather painful impact with the water by catching himself. Taking several deep breaths, he glared up at Naruto before launching himself up at the blonde with the same method.

Two fists collided with enough force to cause the air to waver and send out considerable shockwaves. Ignoring the minor echoing sounds that was coming from the impacts of their fists, Sasuke rolled over Naruto's body as his own continued on its earlier path . As he passed behind him, he swung his legs back and hit Naruto solidly between the shoulders.

Dropping to the river below them again, they stopped and stared at one another for a moment, trying to catch their breaths. Despite how much both of them were trying to be vicious and bitter towards the other, reluctant smiles began to pull at their faces.

This fight was starting to get _fun!_

* * *

Utter silence reigned over the group as they stared down at the suddenly evenly-matched fighters under them. Of all of them, Gaara was far from surprised or impressed. This battle between teammates was certainly interesting to watch, especially since it showed to Gaara the true extent of Naruto's abilities and his desire to return his teammate home. Yet, it paled in comparison to _his_ battle with the blonde. At least that's what he was trying to tell himself. 

Lee, Neji, Temari, and Kankuro was just staring in surprise and disbelief. Temari and Kankuro were confused as to what Uzumaki and the Uchiha brat had done to their bodies to acquire so much power and speed in just a few seconds. Sure, Uzumaki could be using his demon's youki but the energy they were sensing felt far different than any youki or chakra that they'd ever come across before.

Neji, with his Byakugan, could just barely see something that he otherwise might have not even suspected. He could barely see it because of how fast the fighting was taking place but now that it had halted for just a moment, he saw it with ease. Two small sections within Naruto's brain were glowing fiercely with chakra…just like what he'd seen Lee do in the Chuunin Preliminary Exam. Yet the chakra being generated from those two points was so much greater in quantity in comparison to Lee's five opened gates however.

"Uh…Neji," Kiba said, his voice oddly hesitant and quiet. "W-We're rivals…with _that_ thing?"

"It would appear so," he said simply, never taking his gaze from the fight as it quickly resumed. The Uchiha was sending wave after wave of Housenka upon Naruto who had started sprinting for him.

"Yeah…" Unexpectedly, Kiba turned and threw Neji a beastly smile. "I can't wait for our next match!"

"…Indeed," Neji said, a faint smile on his face.

* * *

Leaping to opposite sides of the river to conserve their chakra and further catch their breaths, the boys stared at one another for a moment as they contemplated their next move. As he stared into Naruto's red eyes, he suddenly felt something. It was both alien yet familiar, as terrifying as amusing. 

Drifting through his mind were vague fragments of emotions that he knew weren't his own. Absolute fury was burning as fiercely as the conflagration of a forest fire. Unwavering and constant determination as powerful and ever-present as the gusts of a windstorm. A fierce desire to fight, to return home with everyone safe and alive lay at the foundation.

These were not his emotions, they were Naruto's!

Realization crept over him as he smirked. Now that Sasuke thought about it, he did recall his father once telling his mother about Itachi putting his first opponent into a genjutsu just by looking them in the eye when his Sharingan evolved fully. It had been a proud day back then. Now it was Sasuke's turn, but he had a different idea.

Meanwhile Naruto was quickly looking through his entire library of jutsus he could use against Sasuke to win. The only truly effective jutsus would have to be his Suiton and Fuuton jutsus. However, the only Suiton jutsus he knew used far too much chakra and Sasuke had proven that he could easily evade them if need be. And there was also the fact that he couldn't use his Fuuton jutsus because Sasuke favored his Katon jutsus so much. The smart thing to do would have to be charge Sasuke with his Oboro active and ram him with the Tatewaru or Rasengan to knock him unconscious.

'_Attack_,' a faint voice whispered into his consciousness. '_We can attack him now, while he's out of breath!_'

But Naruto was too focused on what his next move would be notice the strong urges that began to rise up inside him. As the urges became stronger, Naruto made his decision, much to the satisfaction of the presence in the back his mind.

'_Attack him quickly!_' the voice whispered, feeding itself off of Naruto's emotions, urging him into action. '_Attack him ruthlessly!!_'

'**Hn**,' growled a second voice, much stronger than the first yet even less noticeable. '**we don't need to be encouraged, Uchiha. We were gonna attack _anyway!!_'**

Sasuke involuntarily flinched as he withdrew sharply from his teammate's mind. Ahead of him, he saw Naruto begin going through a series of handseals. It was more instinct than anything else that had Sasuke mirroring the handseals, only a fraction of a second slower than Naruto.

Erupting around the two of them was a fierce tornado of slashing chakra winds. Sasuke instantly recognized the design and qualities of the winds from the number of times that he'd seen Naruto using the Kaze Kiwa. As well as a memory of Naruto using something like this against Sabaku no Gaara.

It was this realization that had Sasuke crouching down like Naruto in preparation. With a powerful push of his altered chakra, Sasuke launched himself across the river at his opponent as Naruto did the same. Two picture-perfect Kaze Doriru formed as the bodies went racing at each other.

"Fuuton: Kaze Doriru no Jutsu!" they yelled simultaneously.

For the barest of moments, the two large wind drills just floated in the air as they tried to overpower the other. In the end, the drills' host bodies' own momentum was their own undoing. The tips of the drills flattened against each other. Their clashing chakra mixed and a violent explosion of wind from the focal points ripped the jutsus apart. Naruto and Sasuke once again became visible, each with an arm outstretched to punch the other.

Instead, they merely grabbed the other's outstretched arm by the wrist. Simultaneously, they yanked the other towards themselves, effectively pulling them into the same location. Naruto jerked his knee up into Sasuke's stomach as he got close enough. Sasuke, however, used his other arm to punch Naruto in the face. They released the other and were sent tumbling back in the direction which they came from.

Panting heavily, Sasuke pulled himself back up to his feet. Glancing up at his recovering teammate, he felt his respect for the boy go up another peg. All that chakra he'd just used on that Fuuton jutsu was almost equivalent to what a Chidori took out of him! Naruto's chakra reserves must've been even higher than he originally thought if he could dish out jutsus like this, along with several others, and still be able to stand.

But what had happened earlier? He'd been sending those messages, urging Naruto to attack, using one of his secret jutsus. He knew that he'd been doing it correctly because he could read Naruto's emotions as they changed from aggressive contemplation to aggressive resolution.

But what was that voice he'd heard? He was very sure it wasn't the Kyuubi no Kitsune; it didn't sound demonic, only bestial. Sasuke was also pretty sure that he wasn't strong enough to enter so far into Naruto's mind that he could 'meet' the cursed kitsune anyway._ Did...does Naruto have multiple personalities? That voice did say 'we.'_

Shaking his thoughts from his head, Sasuke watched as Naruto flashed through another set of handseals. However, he wasn't presumptuous enough to mirror Naruto this time since it seemed that all of his damned jutsus were just not suited for him. Besides he had been trained to conserve his chakra for strikes that really counted.

But he still recognized the handseals for the Tatewaru nonetheless. Seeing the hurricane of slashing winds racing around Naruto's arm, a sudden inspiration hit the Uchiha. Going through three handseals, Sasuke ignited the first Katon jutsu he'd ever learned in his hands. It was the Katon: Faiatama no Jutsu.

Now as he cradled the mass of flaming chakra in between his palms, he did something that he had once discovered by accident when he was younger. He transferred all the chakra he was using in the jutsu to one hand, doubling the strength of the flames in that hand. Then he called upon what he'd learned from the Chidori: concentrating on compressing the chakra into the smallest possible space he could.

Closing his fist down over the small bead of light that the chakra had become, Sasuke grinned as he watched the flames continue to burn around his hand and fingers. The bead of fire he now held in his hand was extremely hot, so he had to buffer the heat with more chakra in his palm and fingers.

Standing up properly, Sasuke let out a war cry as he held his new creation up above his head. Across the river, Naruto mirrored Sasuke's actions perfectly, almost as though he too possessed a Sharingan. Then they rushed each other a second time.

Their fists flew at each other with tremendous speed as they attacked. Not desiring to learn the consequences of combining wind chakra with fire chakra, Naruto was discreetly channeling chakra through his legs in preparation. Just as he was a single pace away from Sasuke, he shimmered out of existence with his own improvised version of Shunshin no Jutsu.

He reappeared at Sasuke's side, his Tatewaru already sailing towards Sasuke's unprotected shoulder and chest. However, he failed to notice Sasuke's eyes had been watching his movement the entire time. Just before the windy battering ram could touch him, Sasuke disappeared with his own Shunshin.

Unprepared, the blonde over-extended his reach, his guard momentarily dropping. It was at this moment that Sasuke reappeared and slammed his flaming palm at Naruto's exposed chest. The instant that the bead of compressed fire touched Naruto's sweater, it ignited into a large explosion of flame and smoke. The force behind the explosion blew the blonde clear across the river and into the canyon wall.

Sasuke only had a moment to smirk in satisfaction at the effects of this new jutsu he'd created. Then the pain hit him. Dropping to his knees on the river's surface, he quickly plunged his smoking and unhealthily red hand into the cold river water. After a few moments of sharp pain from the burn wounds, he sighed in relief and withdrew his hand. His palm looked like it had a bad sunburn, and the brief relief of the cold water was quickly being replaced with the burning heat.

Sasuke sighed softly as he realized something. _It would seem that my Gouka Tenohira has a high price for usage._ Then he smirked as a wave of elation rose inside him. His first attack ninjutsu was as deadly to him as his enemy, but that was just fine for him at the moment. He'd just have to experiment later to see if he could learn to control it better.

The sound of moving stones drew Sasuke's attention to the victim of his newly-created ninjutsu. As the blonde Jinchuuriki violently shoved the collapsed boulders off his body, Sasuke spotted the telltale glimpses of red youki slowly beginning to leak into Naruto's body.

Once he was free of the rocks, the boy glanced down at the remains of his beloved sweater. He was missing a hole about the same size as his entire torso with still smoking edges. His toned chest was exposed, revealing only slightly reddened skin, probably already greatly healed from the fires. Shedding his sweater, Naruto glared up at Sasuke as his chakra began kicking up a spiraling wind around him.

With his own war cry, Naruto dropped into a crouch before rocketing towards Sasuke. Smirking again, Sasuke rushed out to meet him at an equally fast speed. Throwing powerful punches, both boys caught the other's hand. Shifting grips, they switched their attacks into a fierce shoving contest. Sasuke's Sharingan gaze was boring down into Naruto's red eyes as he began to raise the quantity of chakra the Juin Jutsu was giving him.

Feeling himself being quickly overpowered, Naruto answered with an increase as well. Powerful winds were kicked up, forming a tornado around the duo as their spiraling purple and blue chakra battled for supremacy.

The winds threw back the river surrounding them, forming a depression in the river that rapidly grew in size. Before long, they were standing upon the rarely seen riverbed, surrounded by a crater of water just itching to consume them. If either boy realized where they now stood, they paid it no mind.

Releasing their hands finally, a fierce bout of punches, kicks, blocking, counters, and lucky dodges erupted. They were moving so fast and wildly that their bodies were little more than blurs of speed. Continuing to roar around them was the tornado which only increased in size and power as their chakra output increased to the maximums their bodies could allow.

Somehow slipping past his guard, Naruto was able to hit Sasuke in the chin with a kick. The blow sent Sasuke flying up and high over the bowl of water they'd unintentionally created. With the sudden loss of half its power, the tornado disappeared and the river swept forward with the force of a tsunami.

Climbing back onto the convulsing surface, Sasuke pulled himself upright. His breathing was becoming increasingly heavy. His body was getting gradually worn out, he'd have to try to finish this fight quickly. However, he acknowledged that he was much stronger now than he had been a week ago. A week ago, fighting at this level would've exhausted him within five minutes and he was sure they'd been fighting for almost fifteen.

That drug the Sound Four gave him did an excellent job!

A sudden burst of chakra from under the water was Sasuke's only warning. Not that it helped much. Erupting from the river was another one of those super Suiryuudan.

Once again swallowed by the water dragon's jaws, Sasuke was washed away, back into the valley wall yet again. However, this time the water didn't explode right away. The rock under Sasuke gave way and crumbled, tunneling deeply into the valley wall and an exposed cavern.

Upon rising to the surface, Naruto followed the trail of his water dragon. Dashing headlong into the revealed cave and for Sasuke, he came to an abrupt halt when he was several paces inside. It was almost completely black inside.

His ever trusty nose couldn't pick up Sasuke's scent from both the water that drenched him and the cavern as well as the overwhelming smell of moist dirt and mud. And the bastard seemed to have suppressed his powerful chakra signature, making him nearly invisible to all of Naruto's senses.

Somewhere within the cavern, a low chuckle of Sasuke's echoed off the walls. Naruto was confused, he could see it clearly written upon his face.

* * *

He knew he was getting very close now. Kakashi had been running almost nonstop for the past two hours. Before him were ever growing signs of pursuit and battles. 

But the first major clue was the corpse of a bulky teenager with orange hair. Kakashi had only given the body a second's glance to determine that the cause of death was due to a completely crushed chest.

The next sign was a bloody corpse of what was former a six-armed teenager. He couldn't be sure but it was mostly that the boy had bled to death after losing two of his arms and falling out of the tree he had been in.

Then he came upon an entire tract of woodlands that had been reduced to lumber. He didn't need to go searching through that mess to know there was another enemy corpse underneath it. A little ways ahead he found a fourth corpse lying upon a large bed of sand that covered the immediate area.

Another clue, however minor it was, was a familiar headband. It was Naruto's headband. Kakashi didn't have time to wonder how the blonde had forgotten about his dear possession. For it was at that moment he discovered the final clue.

That clue was a pair of fluctuating chakra signatures. _Enormous_ chakra signatures! He finally discovered the source of the chakra coming from the base of the waterfall that marked the beginning of the Valley of the End. He also discovered a majority of the team that had been sent on this mission watching from the top of the Shodai Hokage monument.

He didn't take the time to see who stood among them. Kakashi was far more worried about the two fighting, and he knew exactly who the two were. Though both their chakra felt changed, evil, there was no mistaking them.

As he came to a stop at the top of the canyon wall not too far from the monuments, he looked around for his students. He could feel them close by, but their chakra auras were so powerful and overlapping that he couldn't pinpoint their locations. At least not until he heard a pair of muffled voices shouting a pair of names, each as distinctive as the last.

"_CHIDORI!!!_" "_RASENGAN!!!_"

A cave in opposite canyon wall was suddenly alit by the clashing chakra within. Only a shinobi with senses as attuned as his own could feel what was coming. The pressure of the high-quantities of chakra within the cave was climbing to dangerous levels. Then, like a balloon with too much air, the entire cave and a large portion of the canyon wall was reduced to dust and pebbles as the clashing energies exploded.

The shockwaves shook the entire landscape, nearly tearing trees out of the ground, and causing a massive tsunami in the river. It was very fortunate for all the spectators that they were on the far side of the canyon when it happened.

Pulling himself up from where he'd been blown off his feet, Kakashi quickly approached the cliff. He watched as the large dust cloud gradually settled. There was no sign of either boy, but he knew they were still there as the chakra signatures had not disappeared in the least. In fact, they were rapidly increasing to astronomical heights.

Then, with a cry, a black-clothed gray-skinned figure with monstrous wings burst out from the under the pile of debris that had buried. Much like a bat from hell. Giving its wings a few experimental flaps, the figure gradually lowered itself back down the ground. It was then, as the figure looked up, that Kakashi saw that it was Sasuke.

"**Kukukuku!**" Sasuke chuckled, eerily reminding Kakashi of Orochimaru, as he stared at the landslide on the opposite of the large crater. "**That was a rush…Wasn't it, Naruto?**"

As soon as his name was spoken, a red limb snapped up out of the landslide. The limb, a red youki tail, effortlessly heaved a pair of large boulders off the blonde as he too stood up.

"**Let's do that again!**" Naruto replied, sounding almost ecstatic as he crouched down. The way Naruto was crouched over brought back strong memories for Kakashi of the one creature he'd ever seen do that.

**"As you wish!!"** Sasuke shouted.

It was at this particular moment that Kakashi had to blink. And when he opened it again, he could only see hazy trails of red and a faint blur of black dashing back and forth in the air, bouncing off the earth and kicking up clouds of dust. _Far_ too fast for even his experienced eye to track properly.

Gawking quite noticeably, even with his mask, Kakashi quickly raised his headband. With his Sharingan exposed he watched the battle closely, his disbelief growing with each blow the boys landed.

* * *

Flying at each other at the fastest speeds they could make their bodies move, Naruto and Sasuke each threw a punch. Sasuke landed a hard hit in Naruto's stomach, while Naruto's fist connected squarely with Sasuke's face. For just one moment, the two remained suspended in midair as they adjusted to the pain. 

Recovering before Naruto, Sasuke glued his feet to Naruto's waist. Flapping his new wings to keep them airborne, he began pummeling his demon-container teammate with numerous hard punches to the stomach. Naruto couldn't block as each punch was as painful as the last. Heaving his legs up, Sasuke released Naruto the same moment he jerked forward. He slammed one knee into the blonde's abused stomach, arching him backward over his leg. Seizing the opportunity, he brought his elbow down on Naruto's unprotected neck. Even though he felt the bone break under the impact, he also saw it heal as soon as he removed his limb.

Growling in annoyance at Naruto's unfair advantage, Sasuke threw a fast kick that had the blonde rocketing across the river's surface towards the monuments. Flying after his opponent, Sasuke quickly formed the Goukakyuu and blasted the largest one he'd ever made straight at Naruto. The fire enveloped him before he could even think to move.

After a few tense moments, the fire and smoke cleared to reveal Naruto standing in the center of a sphere of youki, completely unharmed. Sasuke grinned despite his increasing annoyance. Yes, Naruto had many advantages, but that was what made this battle so fun!

That was when Naruto revealed yet another. After the sphere vanished, Naruto threw his arm out towards Sasuke. Even with the mature Sharingan and incredible speed the Juin Jutsu's second level bestowed upon him, Sasuke was unable to dodge the sudden youki arm that raced for him. He was simply too close to dodge properly.

The red hand grabbed him securely. With a mighty yank, he went speeding towards Naruto defenselessly. Just as he was nearly upon the blonde, Naruto shifted to the side as he swung his leg. The kick sent Sasuke flying towards the valley wall. It was only thanks to his new wings that he was able to gather enough lift and angle his body properly for him to land heavily on the wall with his feet, rather than make yet another crater.

Lunging at Naruto from the wall, he twisted in midair and threw a fast kick for his neck. Naruto blocked this easily, springing forward with a jab that Sasuke managed to shift out of the way for. Planting his hands upon the water as he was about to fall face first into it, he kicked out at Naruto's unprotected side and back. Once again managing to twist out of reach, Naruto jerked a knee up and hit Sasuke in his outstretched stomach. The blow sent Sasuke flying a short distance before he righted himself and skidded to a halt on the river's surface.

Balancing himself with a hand to the water, Sasuke spotted Naruto racing for him. Swinging his leg out, he was able to trip the blonde. As Sasuke recoiled and lunged for Naruto, the blonde caught himself and pushed himself upright again. And just in time to dodge a swift jab towards his face. Sasuke didn't give Naruto the time to retaliate as he threw a kick, hoping to trip him again. Leaping high over Sasuke's leg, Naruto flipped in the air. His youki tail slammed into Sasuke's head, momentarily distracting him.

As Naruto descended, he threw his own kick for Sasuke's face. Dodging it, he grabbed Naruto's leg and threw him over his shoulder, slamming him into the nearby shore. Jumping forward in hopes of driving Naruto's face further into the ground, he brought his foot down towards his opponent. Naruto instantly rolled to the side and used his hand to push himself back up in one motion. Sasuke's kick was a clean miss, but he already had his other leg coming around and aiming for Naruto.

Spotting the leg with nanoseconds to spare, Naruto ducked under the kick. Using the same hand that had pushed him up, Naruto reached out and jerked Sasuke's foot from the ground, causing both boys to fall to the ground facing one another.

Both of them were grinning broadly. This…_this_ was the battle they'd been hoping for and dreaming of!

Bouncing quickly to their feet, they rushed each other again, throwing punches. Both catching the other's fist, they found themselves in the deadlock that they'd been in numerous times earlier. But this time both were far too hot-blooded to try to retreat. Instead they began head-butting the other, trying to force the other to release his grasp of their captured hand.

Yet with each blow, they found themselves growing more and more acutely aware of the pain that was coursing through their bodies. Almost simultaneously, they let go and leapt to the opposing sides of the river.

Breathing heavily, Sasuke couldn't decide if he wanted to smile or frown or start ranting. This battle was intense, by far the most intense he'd ever been in. The fact that he was able to stand toe-to-toe with Naruto when he was clearly in his Ichibi-form was filling him with pride.

Yet because he was fighting so evenly matched with Naruto, despite his Sharingan, he knew it would only be natural that he'd have an even tougher time winning. And then there was the fierce and growing pain that his body was experiencing, which had nothing to do with the countless attacks and blows he'd sustained.

Grabbing his torso as a fierce wave of burning pain washed over him, Sasuke collapsed down to his knees for a moment. After a moment, it died down slightly, becoming a sharp ache in his chest.

As he panted, one thought raced through his mind.** I'm at my limit...DAMN!!!**

Similar thoughts were going through Naruto's mind. Whatever the curse seal had done to Sasuke's body had definitely made him many times stronger and faster. With how fiercely they'd been battling, Naruto knew before he even felt it that his body was at its limit. He could've pulled out much more youki earlier, maybe once again taking the Nibi form. But with all the chakra he'd spent earlier, taking the Nibi form would've worn him out at nearly double the speed he currently was.

Actually even as he stood there, Naruto could feel his entire right side going numb. With the loss of half his body's movement, Naruto was forced into a kneel. If he didn't end this battle _soon_, Sasuke would win. That would be completely and utterly unacceptable!

At this point, his mission to retrieve the wayward Uchiha was the last thing on his mind. As was the fact that he could somehow control the mind-altering youki this time. No, he could always control, he just lacked the _desire_ and _need_ to _wield_ it!

"**I see you're having some trouble too**," Sasuke called over as he stood back up. His statement earned a slight glare from Naruto. Chuckling lightly at Naruto's expression, Sasuke looked up towards the monoliths that towered above them. "**You remember the legend that surrounds this place, don't you, Naruto?**"

"**Of course I do!**" Naruto snapped, trying to stand as well. "**The place where two great men once battled, creating this river and canyon…on the country border, called the Valley of the End**."

"**This is the perfect setting…isn't it?**" Sasuke asked, his familiar smirk crossing his mutated face.

"**Yes, it is**," Naruto said, holding up his one good hand as he began to mold as much chakra and youki as he could. "**Because this battle's coming to a close…**"

Flashing through three handseals, Sasuke's Chidori burst to life. Channeling his altered chakra into the jutsu, black lightning quickly overrode the white. "**And I'll have you know, Naruto--**"

"**--that one way or another--**" a violet Rasengan formed in Naruto's palm.

_**"--I will defeat you!"**_ they both yelled simultaneously. **_"That's ALL that I WANT!!!"_**

With extraordinarily powerful leaps, both boys were flying towards one another at terminal velocity, jutsus out and ready.

_**"CHIDORI!!!"**_ _**"RASENGAN!!!"**_

Chakra so powerful that even a blind man could see it erupted around the two boys as their jutsus met. The clashing and intermixing chakra quickly formed a very large sphere of pure, uncontrolled energy. This energy grew opaque, and rapidly turned to a color almost darker than black.

Inside this sphere, Naruto and Sasuke each took one final strike against each other. Sasuke, with his longer reach, was able to jab his fingers into Naruto's chest. This attack had an unexpected side-effect. The blow knocked Naruto ever-so-slightly off the course of his attack. He had been aiming one final punch to Sasuke's poster-boy face.

But the blow to his chest caused him to reflexively open his hand as he was pushed away by the momentum Sasuke's attack gave him. However because his hand was open, his claws were exposed. The same impact that pushed Naruto away from him also caused Naruto's hand to descend in an arc to reach for his new wound.

The claws dug into the skin over Sasuke's right eye and ran down towards his cheek. Sasuke was extremely lucky that his reach was greater than Naruto's though. For if Naruto had been just _two_ millimeters closer, Sasuke's eye would've been slashed and as equally ruined as Naruto's left eye. Instead, he acquired a trio of deep scars arching over his eye and half way down his cheek.

Then the energy surrounding them ignited. On the outside of the sphere, a deafening explosion could be heard for miles away in all directions. The shockwaves tore trees cleanly out of the ground and sent colossal gusts of wind and dust spreading away from the shores. Thankfully none of their bystanders were taken with the blast. Upon seeing the growing sphere, they had retreated to find some solid cover, namely behind the Shodai's head.

Inside the blinding energy, Sasuke and Naruto stared at one another. Sasuke's hand was covering his injury as his curse seal quickly retreated back into its source. The red youki silhouette over his body faded away as Naruto's right eye returned to its blue before he was forced to close his dead left one.

Total silence hung heavily in between them as they gradually drifted apart.

* * *

When the explosion, winds, and dust finally settled, the Konoha and Suna-nins were greeted by an interesting sight. Uchiha Sasuke lay unconscious at the feet of Uchiha Madara. Uzumaki Naruto also lay unconscious at the feet of the Shodai Hokage. 

The two rivals had been equals.

* * *

(**Author's Note) **WHEW!! _WHAT A RUSH!!! _Man, I'm happy to finally have this fight off my shoulder! I've been wanting to write this particular scene (especially the ending scene) since the _very first _chapter of this story. I also seem to be on a roll lately eh? This would be three titanic chapters in under two weeks! Talk about working overtime! 

And for those of you who are confused about Naruto being able to use his eye when it was fatally injured, fear not. I will explain it in the coming chapter. And for those of you who may be confused by Sasuke's actions in this chapter, I say again: it will be explained in the next chapter. Also, in case I may have missed any questions, please feel free to post any that you have so I may try to answer them in the next chapter or two.

One last note. Huntinghalfbreed has finally finished the project that I'd requested. I _**HIGHLY **_suggest you all take a look at it. It is breathing-taking! The link can be found on my profile page.

Ijoufu--great god, great man, hero, big man

**Suiton: Tajuu Suiryuudan**--_Water Release: Multiple Water Dragons_//Merely a standard Suiryuudan, except many of them are launched from a number of Kage Bunshins. Capable of beating an opponent unconscious from the many impacts should the jutsu be successful. High A-Rank Ninjutsu (Naruto)

**Suiton: Ijoufu Suiryuudan**--_Water Release: Great God Water Dragon_//A Suiryuudan no Jutsu with nearly twenty times the amount of chakra needed. It takes extremely high chakra reserves and control to wield this jutsu without it falling apart. S-Rank Ninjutsu (Naruto)

**Katon: Gouka Tenohira**--_Fire Release: The Palm of Hellfire_//Sasuke's first original attack ninjutsu, a combination of the Katon: Faiatama and the Chidori. He concentrates the fires of a standard Faiatama into one palm before compressing the fire into a tiny bead of light and heat. The Gouka Tenohira has two possible attack uses. It can be used to blow any enemy away (regardless as if it's handheld or thrown) with a concentrated blast of fire caused by the explosive properties of fire. And it can also be used like the Chidori: if he's traveling fast enough, he can potentially burn and/or melt his way through anything that he desires. However, because he's holding a ball of fire, he suffers similar damage as his target. Though this makes the Gouka Tenohira as dangerous to Sasuke as his opponent, he is able to partially shield himself by putting up a layer of chakra over his hand. B-Rank Ninjutsu (Sasuke)

Next chapter: _The mission is over. Everyone is hurrying back to Konoha where the injured can be properly treated. But some injuries are just too deep to fully heal. Everyone now has to deal with the:_ Scars of Battle.


	36. Scars of Battle

Monumental thanks to Dragon6 and NoneAvailable for reviewing this chapter.

Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 36--Scars of Battle

Creeping slowly along the horizon, the rain came as a surprise on the gathered shinobi. None of them had been paying attention to the weather, far too engrossed in the battle beneath them. Almost instinctively, sand quickly rose out of Gaara's gourd to shield him from the falling water.

Seeing the battle was now over, Gaara formed himself a small platform of sand. Ignoring the others, he stepped on it and floated down to Naruto's unconscious form gently. Thanks to the partial sphere he was encompassed in, he didn't see the blur of black that was heading towards Sasuke.

Gazing down upon the face of the boy who had been the starting point of his rehabilitation, Gaara couldn't help but feel slightly jealous. Uzumaki had just fought an amazing battle, possibly more so than their own. And Gaara had been completely unable to help without having to resort to using Shukaku again, which he had sworn off ever using again.

Naruto was resting at his feet now, relaxed, his breathing slow and even. The faintest hint of a smile was pulling at the corners of his face, as though even unconscious he was content with the battle being over. As he gazed down upon his rival and savior, Gaara spotted a new addition to the boy's attire. A green jewel hung around his neck on a badly flayed strap, it privately amazed Gaara that he was still wearing it after that battle.

Drifting his gaze upwards, Gaara was finally able to fully observe Naruto's wound. By now it had almost entirely healed. The dried blood that had caked the deep slash over his eye had long since been washed away. There was no indention in his skin to hint at an injury. Only the faintest change of color upon the wound was visible to naked and inexperienced eye.

"Is he alright?" the voice of a man he didn't know asked.

Glancing over to the Jounin that had just arrived, carrying the Uchiha, Gaara noticed the single Sharingan that was staring down at Naruto. After only a moment of searching his memory did Gaara put a name to his face. Hatake Kakashi, the Copycat of Konoha, wielder of a thousand jutsus, and recent jounin sensei to Team Seven.

"…Hai," Gaara said, returning his attention to Naruto. Gathering sand underneath the blonde, he gently hoisted him off the ground

Nodding, Kakashi turned to leave as he said under his breath, "For Naruto and Sasuke to fight here, of all places. It's…ironic…Let's go back to Konoha, Sabaku-san."

* * *

Zetsu watched as the party of Konoha and Suna shinobi recovered the two children who had been fighting only minutes before. He had watched the entire chase and following battle between the two while safely hidden under the surface of the earth. 

He was of two minds on the battle, literally. One half of him was worried. Those two boys had displayed a level of skill and power that _far_ exceeded all expectations he'd been given by Itachi and their leader. Now they were being taken home to recover, and then they'd train and further grow in strength. If they continued at the rate at which they were, he knew that they would be able to disrupt their organization's plans quite soundly in the future.

If it weren't for the fact that he'd been ordered to observe the battle, as well as what his other self thought, Zetsu would've rushed in there to kill the boys there and then.

Yet his other self was ecstatic. If those boys were this strong now, how much stronger would they be when the Akatsuki began to take more active roles in the future? He couldn't suppress the shivers of excitement at the thought. He wanted to have a big battle, then feast on their corpses in celebration.

"_This is promising to get very interesting_," his other self said. "_Isn't it?_"

"…Yes," he said quietly before tunneling away. Their leader would want to know of these developments.

* * *

**Several hours later…**

His body ached badly, as though he'd been used as a piñata at a party of sledgehammers or something of the like. His muscles were screaming in agony from exhaustion, and no matter how hard he panted he couldn't seem to hold it in for more than a second. His head was spinning horribly, but he somehow managed to beat back the disorientation and prevented falling back into the bliss of unconsciousness.

Opening his eyes, he found his vision to be as disorienting as he felt. Half of it only saw darkness, due to that half being covered in bandages. The other half of his vision took in the sight of a familiar white room, a hospital room. Turning his head slightly to the side, he found himself staring out a window and up at a _extremely_ familiar monument.

He just stared at it for a moment, taking in the sight. _I'm back_, he realized with a small of relief.

Slowly, he watched as fast-paced and confusing series of memories flowed through his mind. They climaxed at the final clash of the Chidori and the Rasengan while they were suspended above the waterfall. As he remembered the accidental slash to his face, Sasuke finally realized why his right eye was bandaged.

Sighing slightly to himself again, a satisfied grin slowly crawled across his face. But it didn't get as large as it could've. The sharp stinging of the claw marks on his cheek prevented it.

The opening of the door to the room caused the weak grin to vanish instantly. Turning his head to see to who had entered the room, he spotted to people. The first was his teammate, lying in a bed next to him. The other person was the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade.

"I see you're finally wake," she said as she saw him. "Good…As you can probably guess, everybody has a lot of questions for you, Uchiha."

"…Hai," he said, returning his attention to the window with a blank face.

"Would you care to explain your actions to me?" Tsunade asked in a honey-sweet voice, trying to rein in her impulsive anger at the boy's lack of respect. "or would you rather I just put on probation and house-arrest until further notice?"

Sasuke just continued to stare out the window for a moment. Then he said, "I didn't want to leave, Hokage-sama, but I had no choice."

"How so?"

"You know of the curse seal, correct, Hokage-sama?" Sasuke asked, bringing his hand unconsciously up to the mark. Seeing her nod, he continued, "it was slowly taking over my mind. I could feel it…Then Orochimaru sent those shinobi to get me. They offered me a way to control the seal, a pill that I had to eat. But it reacted badly with my body and they had to seal me into…suspended animation for my body to adjust."

"During which time they took you towards Orochimaru," Tsunade inserted, understanding in her voice.

"Yes…" Sasuke couldn't help but to smirk slightly as he continued. "When I came to, I saw Naruto had followed me…like I wanted."

"Let me guess," Tsunade said, interrupting as she rubbed her forehead in annoyance. "you wanted to test the limits of the power when you woke up. And with Naruto there, how could you resist?"

Sasuke's face returned to its usual passiveness as he looked back upon the Hokage faces. As he stared at the Yondaime, he couldn't help but see a quite noticeable resemblance between the former Kage and his teammate. Shifting his gaze to Naruto, Sasuke saw the similarities didn't end. Naruto's features may have been younger and slightly softer, but they were still there.

Tsunade saw the suspicious gaze Sasuke was giving Naruto as he glanced between the monument and the boy. If she'd even cared, she might've made a remark to him about it. But currently she was more concerned with the new information she'd acquired from the Uchiha.

If she were to believe the young prodigy, she'd be extremely relieved. The boy was a genius and an Uchiha. It would only be natural for him to jump at the opportunity for 'free power' especially with what two of his life goals were. She also knew very well of the rampages caused by the escaped victims of Orochimaru over the years who also bore a curse seal. One didn't travel the world in search of casinos and following 'get-rich-quick' schemes without hearing something like a random slaughtering of a small village or port town by a monster that had once been a human being.

Yet, she couldn't just shrug off the boy's actions. He had left the village, unannounced, with a team affiliated with one of Konoha's most wanted criminals to gain more power. If she let him off with little to no punishment, he'd only be encouraged to leave again if the opportunity ever arose again. And if she knew Orochimaru as well as she hoped she did, the Hebi-Sannin wouldn't rest until he'd finally acquired the Uchiha's body for himself.

"Uchiha," she said, drawing his attention back to her again. "do you know why Orochimaru gave you that seal in the first place? Or why he is offering to train you?"

"Does it matter?" Sasuke asked, giving her an annoyed scowl. "I'm not there, am I?"

"He wants your body, or rather your Sharingan," she continued, ignoring him. "He gave you that seal in hopes that its uncontrollable urges would send you straight to him."

She knew she had his interest now. "In order for him to take your body, he will probably have to destroy your soul. That would make you nothing more than a spiritless, dead yet living corpse. That is what he'd have done to you."

She watched he looked away, his gaze was glazed over. After giving him a moment to process and analyze this, she continued, "I hope you realize what you'd almost gotten yourself into."

Sasuke nodded slowly, only half-hearing.

"Because you were officially a nuke-nin for little over a day, I am placing you under probation and temporary house-arrest, complete with a curfew." She had to steel herself to keep from smirking at his uncharacteristically surprised, almost disbelieving, gawk. "It will lifted when your sensei and teammates deem you fit to regain your prior privileges."

Sasuke just turned an absentminded gaze at the still sleeping Naruto. A memory of his willing encounter with Sakura before he left sprang to mind, as did Kakashi's 'advice.' Looking at the Godaime, his following statement was almost a whine. "Then I'll be on probation for the rest of my life!"

This time Tsunade did grin at his expense.

* * *

**Two days later…**

There was only one truly serious casualty acquired during the entire mission, Akimichi Choji. The first medic team she had sent out after the genin had discovered him and the corpse of an enemy shinobi by early morning of the next day. After properly disposing of the corpse, they rushed Choji back to Konoha with all due haste. Tsunade had been overseeing his survival, now recovery, ever since.

Early in the operation, Tsunade had quickly been able to discover the reasons for his current injuries. Thankfully the hospital had a book on the basic Akimichi body and common injuries since the clan was very unique and often acquired wounds that no other clan would. With the book, she had managed to find the cause about half way through the four-thousand page book.

She was positive he had used the forbidden soldier pills of his clan to battle. Each pill was capable of supplying an Akimichi with specific nutrients used to unlock the untapped potential chakra that was stored in their bodies. With each pill that was digested, the greater the amount of chakra and energy was pulled from their bodies. The third and final pill generated the most, far more chakra than the common Akimichi could handle due to the damage that was inflicted on their bodies.

In one sense, those pills were another method of opening the Celestial Gates.

Yet Choji, after apparently eating all three, was still alive. That had Tsunade going over a list reasons for how that was possible. The only reason that truly made the most sense to her was that he had been consistently and immediately drained of his chakra prior to taking the third pill. If so then while the pill gave him an enormous power boost, it was just enough to not burn out his body completely, thus saving his life.

By now the young Akimichi had mostly stabilized, allowing her the opportunity to take a short examination of the other injuries the team had sustained. In one room she found Inuzuka Kiba expertly bandaged, most heavily around his lower torso. According to the clippings of rumors she'd heard, he'd stabbed himself to force an enemy to leave his body after possessing it.

The stab wound was deep, almost fatal actually. Another few millimeters in any direction would've punctured a vital organ that, if not killing him, would've ended his career as a shinobi. And when she'd informed him about it, he just chuckled painfully.

Shikamaru, who only had a broken finger, was the least injured. She had passed him and the Suna kunoichi waiting outside Choji's operating room. The poor boy was horribly torn up emotionally and morally about his best friend being the only truly injured one to come back from the mission. She knew he was feeling doubts, questioning whatever choices he had had to make. But he'd have to work to work it out with himself if he still desired to remain a shinobi.

In the next room, Hyuuga Neji was being treated for second and third degree burns along his back, shoulders, and triceps. Along with those was a large number of bruises he'd acquired upon his torso and scrapes on his arms and legs. Traces of dirt and rock that were still partly wedged under the slowly healing skin and between the cuts had her guessing that he'd been subject to a landslide or something similar. But unlike his teammates, his life was in no danger of ending or being permanently ruined. At worst, he'd have one ugly burn scar on his backside for the remainder of his life. Neji was oddly unconcerned with the news when she'd told him.

As she was leaving Neji's room, she found Shikamaru standing outside and waiting for her. From the look on his face, he had a very serious question to ask. And probably not one she was going to enjoy answering either.

"Can I ask you something, Hokage-sama?" his face was grave, and his tone deathly serious.

Nodding, she beckoned him to accompany her as she made her last but most anticipated stop on her routine.

"Judging from what our mission objective was and all the uncertain factors at the beginning," he said quietly as he walked up to her side. "…shouldn't we have been assigned a medical specialist?"

Sighing, Tsunade nodded to him. "A long time ago, I wrote the same thing in a report on team survival and mission success rates. But…"

Glancing up at her, Shikamaru saw her head drop slightly at whatever she was about to tell him. After a moment, she continued, "But it's not easy to train medics to shinobi." That statement drew a sharp stare from Shikamaru. "A medic has an entirely different set of skills to master, a large amount of specialized knowledge, refine chakra control to a perfection, and the most important aspect of being a first-class medic…"

Now Shikamaru was curious. What was the most important thing to being a medic? But he wasn't going to get an answer as they turned the corner to her last stop.

Standing in front of the door to the room was a familiar pink-haired figure. Haruno Sakura stood uncertainly at the room's entrance, her hand reaching out to open the door, only to retract without touching it. From the half of her face that they could see, she looked depressed, scared, and worried.

"You're Haruno Sakura, aren't you?" Tsunade asked pleasantly.

Hearing her voice, Sakura almost jumped before recovering her wits. Turning fast to face them, she could only nodded uncertainly. The medic Hokage wasn't surprised by this reaction, in fact she'd grown accustomed to it. This was the first time Naruto's teammate had been before the new Hokage, so she was somewhat hesitant on how to react.

"…H-Hai…Hokage-sama," she said, stepping away from the door to bow formally.

"Well," she said, moving forward to grasp the door handle. "Let's go face the music"

What beheld the three as they opened the door was anything but 'music.' The hospital room was a complete mess; beds thrown over on their sides, cabinets were smashed or torn open and their contents thrown about.

Standing as proudly as they could in the center of the mess were Naruto and Sasuke. If it weren't for the differences in height and hair color, they looked almost identical due to all the bloody bandages that were covering their bodies and one of their eyes. The expressions on their faces were that of infuriated disgust and anger. At least that's what their audience thought they were, but there was no real way of knowing for sure. Not while the two boys were trying to beat the other down with their bare fists.

"You damn fool!" Naruto cussed, as he hit Sasuke in the face to accent his point. "What were you thinking?!"

Sakura recoiled immediately. _What's going on here?!_

A quick backhand knocked Naruto slightly to the side and gave Sasuke time to recoil. "I was very confident!"

"And that justifies leaving?!" the Jinchuuriki snapped, throwing a punch to Sasuke's stomach.

"I already told you why!!" the Uchiha snapped back as he caught the blonde's second fist and sent his own punch.

"Do you even know what he--" Naruto dodged and backhanded Sasuke. "--_wanted_ you for?!"

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke growled as he slowly straightened himself. "I'm not there, now am I?"

Anger was rolling off both boys in almost visible waves as they grabbed the other's hospital shirt collars and tried to heave the other off his feet. Sasuke had slightly better success than Naruto.

"Naruto? Sasuke?" Tsunade said in a honey-sweet voice, finally drawing both boys' single eyes upon their audience. That was when Tsunade's anger flooded the room, washing over theirs like a tsunami. "What are you _doing?_ This is a _hospital_, not the _Chuunin Exam!_"

For a moment, they just stared at the angry Hokage, various emotions playing out across their only visible eyes. Sakura's breath was caught in her throat as she truly took notice of the injuries that they were bandaged for.

According to the rumor mill, her two teammates and friends had fought one another. And while Ino, who'd heard from Shikamaru, told her that the fight had supposedly been breath-taking, she knew that if these injuries were the result of it, she never wanted them to fight ever again. But there was a feeling in her gut that told her something else. That they'd fight each other without hesitation or any consideration to her feelings anyway.

And from the looks that had finally settled upon their bandaged faces, she knew that her instincts were about to be confirmed.

"You're right," they said simultaneously. Glancing at each other, they nodded before looking back over at Tsunade. "Excuse us."

Releasing each other, they turned and leapt out of the shattered window without even a second glance. Rushing to the window, Sakura looked down to see what had become of them. They landed in front of the entrance of the hospital, in the midst of a crowd that had gathered around the debris of the window.

Backing away in surprise at the sudden arrival of the boys, the crowd watched with Sakura and Shikamaru as he joined her side. As though nothing had changed, Naruto and Sasuke resumed their fistfight. Tsunade growled to herself as she turned and walked away, taking the more civilized way outside.

"That was the stupidest thing you've ever done, teme!" Naruto ranted.

"I knew what I was doing!" Sasuke snapped back, ducking under Naruto's punch. Grabbing his outstretched hand, he turned and threw the blonde awkwardly over his shoulder. "And I knew you'd come to stop me!"

Rolling over awkwardly, Naruto pushed himself partially up before charging headfirst at Sasuke, yelling, "You still betrayed Konoha!"

"I didn't betray anything!" Sasuke yelled back, trying in vain to dodge.

Sakura couldn't help but gasp. _He didn't? _Her mind was reeling back as it tried to process what she was hearing. _Then that night…what was he…? He was only pretending?! I told him I…and he used me to…! _Despite being justifiably embarrassed, anger welled up inside her. How dare he do that to her!

"Get away from him, demon!" a sudden voice screamed.

From her vantage point, Sakura watched as one of the gathered men who was watching the fight suddenly dash in towards the blonde. Naruto had only enough time to skid to a halt and look questioningly to the side before he was tackled to the ground.

If Naruto hadn't been so seriously weakened after his overuse of youki the other day, he would've easily been able to tear the man off him. The man was very strong for a civilian however. He had a very ripped body, no doubt from extreme manual labor. He clamped one hand down on Naruto's throat, closing his windpipe easily.

"You will not speak to the Uchiha like that again if you value your life, demon!" the man growled, a chorus of agreement quickly circulating from the gathered crowd.

Before she could follow her teammates' example and jump through the window to start pummeling the man senseless, a loud shout, laced with a wave of strong killing desire, erupted from Sasuke.

"_STAND ASIDE!!_" Sasuke yelled.

The crowd, who had unconsciously began forming a living wall to shield their prodigy from the monster, turned in surprise to the dark-haired boy.

"THIS DOESN'T CONCERN YOU!!!" Sasuke continued, pushing his way up to the man who still held the struggling blonde.

Walking up the man, his arm snapped out and grabbed the large man by his own throat. It made for an interesting sight to see a twelve-year-old boy holding a man that was easily three times his weight in muscle mass off the ground until he released Naruto.

Throwing the man aside, Sasuke turned an angry glare upon the crowd as he continued. "_This is between me and the dobe! Now get lost!_"

"Now," Sasuke said, ignoring the crowd's disbelieving gawks as he returned his attention to his rival. "where were we?"

Naruto threw a fast punch that impacted heavily. Despite his still-weak body, Naruto was able to knock the wind from Sasuke's chest and throwing him off-balance. Withdrawing, Naruto threw a fast punch to his face which sent him stumbling backwards before he finally tripped and fell.

Jumping as high into the air as he could manage, Naruto yelled out, "You still left!"

He had intended to drive his knee into Sasuke's torso. But at the last second, Sasuke rolled to the side. Naruto's knee hit the stone road with punishing force. Before he could recover, Sasuke slid his hand along the ground and gathered up a clump of dirt. He tossed it into Naruto's single eye, momentarily blinding him.

As his rival cried and tried to wipe the offending soil from his eye, Sasuke struck out. He hit him with a chop in the side of the neck. The blow wasn't strong enough to do any permanent damage, but it was more than strong enough to knock the blonde to the side and away from him. Standing up, Sasuke backed away and tried to regain his breath.

Dirt hit his face from Naruto as the Jinchuuriki climbed to his feet. Blindly following his sense of smell and hearing, Naruto yelled out, "No fair, Sasuke!"

Blocking Naruto's punch, Sasuke punched him in the chest with as much strength as he could manage. Apparently it was enough to break several ribs, as well as having the bonus of throwing his rival away from him a short distance.

"I may have left, Naruto," Sasuke said, holding up his fist. "But I had never intended to join Orochimaru for anything…only to gain control of the curse seal!"

Finally clearing the dirt from his eye, Naruto held up his own fist, "So you left because you could get strong the _easy way…? _Have you no _real pride?!_"

"What do you know of pride?" Sasuke growled, his fist beginning to glow from all the spare chakra he could generate in his still very weakened state. "You have never fought an honest battle in your entire shinobi career!"

"At least I don't go running off after false power!" Naruto yelled, his fist also began to faintly glow. "My strength's all from hard work and determination!"

"_My power is NOT false!!_" Sasuke yelled.

With cries of anger, they threw their fists at the other with all of the last of their weak strength. Both punches raced in smashed into the other's face, throwing them awkwardly to the side after impact. Stumbling, they tried to remain on their feet. It was no longer a fistfight to prove the other wrong. It was test of will, the last one standing would be eternal victor.

They fell together.

"Morons," Shikamaru muttered, causing Sakura to flinch in surprise. "Fighting before they have even recovered."

"…Yes," Sakura said, having a sudden wave of déjà vu. "…I think they…always will."

Shikamaru was quiet for a moment before nodding. They probably always would have some form of rivalry, forever trying to outdo their first and ultimate rival. Glancing over at Sakura, he couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for the poor girl. She would probably never be anywhere near strong enough to stop them from killing one another in the years to come.

"They are getting very strong, Sakura-san," he said, earning a glance from the pink-haired girl. "…You'd do well to follow their lead."

Sakura was quiet for a moment, turning her attention to the unconscious boys in front of the hospital. Tsunade-sama had finally arrived and was gathering up her rowdy patients while barking orders at the crowd to dissipate. As she stared down at her friends, an inspiration rose up inside her. Turning back to Shikamaru, she found him walking to the door, intent on leaving.

"Shikamaru-san," she called over, when he paused in the doorway she continued. "…I won't _follow_ them…I'll make my _own_ path to become as strong as _I_ can be."

Glancing over his shoulder, the young Chuunin saw the look of steely determination in her expression. She was deathly serious. He sent her a slight grin before he walked away.

* * *

**Later that night…**

He watched and waited as the happenings of the hospital took place around him. It had taken a long time for him to arrive this far. Especially with how slowly he had to sneak here, and how long he had to observe the frequency of guests that visited the room.

The cool night sky of early autumn cast a blanket of serenity over the hospital. It was deceptive in the way that it promised peace. A promise that was not going to be kept, not if he had anything to say about it!

It took a lot to drive a Hyuuga over the undeterminable edge of rationality to insanity. They are usually apathetic people whose only real emotions were anger, fear, and twisted humor. To normal people, they could make icebergs in the artic seem warm and inviting.

But to the shinobi who both knew them and who had to work them, it was often speculated on whether or not the entire clan had gone insane. How can a person just shrug off a major event or moral crisis, like taking a person's life, so easily? Some people were known to go insane after the first life they had been forced to take, regardless of the circumstances that lead up to it.

It was for stuff like this that many shinobi secretly believed the whole clan was crazy or deranged. But for Hyuuga Higyou, it was quite clear he'd definitely gone way over the edge. After losing everything from he held dear; his position and power, pride and honor, even his dream of one day becoming the new clan head, he could come to only one conclusion.

Revenge!

If he could just dispose of Uzumaki Naruto, the traitor Hyuuga Neji and Hiashi, and hopefully even those worthless bitches for clan heirs, he could one day reclaim all he'd lost. He'd be welcomed back into the clan as a hero! He'd have done away with those pests that had been forcing a change upon his beloved family that they didn't want or need. In their gratitude for his incredible accomplishments, the clan would most likely name him Clan Head. Maybe even Hokage!

Thoughts similar to these had begun rising into his mind. Becoming louder, more numerous, more convincing, all the way to becoming a mental chant. Yes, he would have his revenge and reclaim _everything!_

Using all of his considerable, if now deranged, intelligence, Higyou had easily escaped from the prison compound that he'd been sent to. After returning to Konoha, he'd spent his time planning and eliminating schemes of how to kill those who stood in his way to power. He'd decided to start with the demon, since the beast was proving the most difficult to kill.

When news of it being hospitalized from a fierce battle reached him, he leapt at the opportunity. Now here he was, standing in the darkened hall outside the door to the room that held his most deadly enemy.

This time, he would not fail! He'd do it himself.

Thoroughly searching the room with his Byakugan eyes, he spotted his enemy quickly. The boy's chakra was fainter than usual, with a thick coating of youki welling up around his tenketsu, as though trying to be expelled.

_So I was right_, he realized, torn between triumph and fear. _The Kyuubi truly is in control of the body now. I must kill it now, while it's so weak!_

With the expertise of an ANBU, Higyou slid the door open silently. He padded his way to the boy's bed with the grace of a leopard about to strike. He was as silent as a shadow, so as to not disturb the Uchiha boy who slept in the next bed over.

'_Now, the moment of truth_, Higyou thought as he brought his hands up to begin the sequence of a long handseal series for the Sentakushi Nou Sakujo.

While he felt that his beloved clan's jutsus were the greatest ever conceived and developed, he was not above finding the information on how to beat them. Higyou was well-aware that Hiashi would not willingly relinquish his position. It would hopefully come down to fight between the two of them. And if Higyou knew the one jutsu that the Kaiten was vulnerable to, he would be given an excellent wildcard.

Finally completing the complex genjutsu, he sent his mind sliding into the sleeping boy's head. With the boy naturally unconscious and unaware, it was all-too-easy for Higyou to squeeze past the boy's mental defenses.

His vision as he entered the boy's mind was unclear. He couldn't see from all the fog as he traveled, occasionally avoiding a shadowy wall or slipping into a crevice in them. What he saw when his vision finally cleared startled him. Whenever he'd ever used this jutsu before and he'd slipped past the victim's mental defenses, he would find himself before a door that led the way into the person's mind and memories.

He saw a pair of doors now.

One was an elegant, golden paneled door with beautiful carvings of leaves, trees, and fires in the wood. There was a simple, silver doorknob to door. Upon the front of the knob was the kanji for 'light.'

The second door was the polar opposition of the first. It was made of a rough, black wood. The hinges on the door were rusted with slight signs of recent usage from the footprints in the dust that rested on the ground in front of the door. Carved sloppily into the wood was a single figure that was clearly the image of a leaf, silhouetted by flames. Upon the rusty doorknob was the kanji for 'dark.'

"What the hell is this?!" Higyou screamed in absolute fury. Even in his unconscious mind, the beast was trying to further humiliate and ruin him!

Forcefully calming himself, Higyou began to think carefully. He had limited time to finish his work before his chakra supply diminished and he was ejected from the boy's mind. Now the 'light' door was most likely the beast's frontal personality that it displayed to the world as it carefully plotted its schemes for destruction and death. Why should a great beast like the Kyuubi no Kitsune hide the secrets of its vile jutsus in the front personality? No, what Higyou was after was probably hidden behind the 'dark' door.

With his mind made up, he moved forward and grabbed the rusty doorknob. He gave it a turn, but the knob wouldn't budge. Adding a bit more power and leaning heavily on the door, he tried to force it open. But the stubborn door was firmly sealed closed.

Forcing back a fresh wave of fury, Higyou stepped into a Jyuuken stance before hitting the door with a powerful blast of chakra. The door emerged without so much as a scratch. That told Higyou something he'd already suspected. For the door to remain closed against his will to enter, the beast must have an exceedingly powerful will to resist. Especially if he was being 'attacked' in his sleep, with no knowledge of the deed.

"**Heh heh heh**," a deep, dark voice thundered behind him suddenly. A voice that he'd only heard once before, and only in growls of inconceivable fury. The Kyuubi!

Whirling around to face the voice, Higyou let out gasp as he finally and fully realized where he stood now. Apparently the 'outer defenses' that he'd bypassed earlier were pieces of a larger cavern. Standing prominently in the center of the gigantic chamber was a magnificent golden gate. Resting midway up the gate was a simple slip of paper that held the kanji of 'seal.'

But Higyou's attention was drawn irresistibly to the colossal figure that towered so far above him behind that golden gate. A pair of burning red eyes stared down upon him with black amusement as another deafening chuckle thundered through the cavern.

"**Foolish mortal**," the Kyuubi growled out, a sickening grin of wicked teeth became visible. "**Seeking this Jinchuuriki's death…**"

Then the red eyes narrowed as the terrifying waves of the Kyuubi's killing desire flared up. So much foul, evil longing to tear his body to pieces and spread them over the four corners of the planet washed over Higyou. It left him utterly frozen in place, despite even primal instinct screaming at him to flee. But he couldn't…not while the beast was staring_ straight at him!_

The sound of squeaky hinges turning probably would've caused him to jump in terror if he weren't frozen in place. The squeaking was the only sound that filled the cavern for a moment. Then, finally, the beast shifted its gaze to whatever had occurred behind him.

Somehow finding the willpower to breath again, Higyou forced his suddenly-stiff neck to turn just enough to see what was behind him. What he saw was the Kyuubi's human form, right down to the blonde hair and whisker marks. But the eyes were different. They were slitted, red, and filled with as much vile rage and loathing as the large pair behind the gate.

"_How nice to meet you, Hyuuga-teme_," the demon-boy being said, sneering evilly. "_I was hoping to have someone to play with._"

An equally powerful killing desire flared up from the demon-boy. Only now it was much more focused, far more potent due to the proximity. "_Let's play, bastard!_"

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Higyou did the only thing that a halfway rational person would. He fled. Utilizing all of his remaining chakra, he blasted himself clear out of the cavern and away from the two demons that meant to do him bodily and psychological harm.

Snapping back into his body with the force of freight train, Higyou reeled back. Stumbling, he tripped over his own feet and fell heavily to the floor behind him. Breaths coming out in mere pants, he couldn't help looking around in a panic. Where was he? Was he safe now? Were those demons still close by? Or were they just playing with his head and were about to attack now? Thoughts running around these lines were racing through his mind at a million miles per hour, too fast to be properly acknowledged or comprehended before fleeing to be replaced.

Then he saw the sleeping form of the beast that was about to kill him. With a gurgled cry of absolute terror, Higyou turned and dashed for the newly replaced window. He didn't even stop to open it, just lunged out and broke through it in his rush to escape.

Landing awkwardly on the ground below him, he felt something in his old legs give way. If he were so frenzied, he would've felt it at least. But as it were, he didn't. So he tried to stand, only to collapse back on the ground. But that didn't stop him from trying to crawl away.

He never noticed the dark silhouettes of a squad of ANBU descending upon. All he could see was the vile red eyes that assaulted him from all directions.

That night, Hyuuga Higyou _truly_ lost everything.

* * *

**Early the next morning…**

"And that's what happened?" Tsunade asked, torn between annoyance and relief.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the ANBU Captain reported.

It was very early in the morning, the dawn sunlight was just now peaking over the horizon. Tsunade, who'd been once again sleeping atop a pile of paperwork that needed reviewing, had been politely awoken by the ANBU Captain to hear the latest report.

Apparently after the squad of ANBU who'd discovered the imprisoned and recently escaped Hyuuga Higyou in front of the hospital, they'd tried to arrest him again. But the Hyuuga, ranting mad from the report, had somehow snatched one of their wakizashi and slit his own throat, dying very shortly afterwards.

Thinking for a moment, she looked up and said, "Did you find what he was doing at the hospital?"

"Not exactly, Hokage-sama," the ANBU Captain reported. "But he seems to have fled from the room that Uzumaki and Uchiha were sharing. Yet both boys were asleep when we checked on them."

"They weren't pretending to be asleep, were they?" she asked, ironing out all details.

"No, Hokage-sama," was the reply. "Uzumaki may be good at deception and stealth, but he isn't as good as an ANBU."

Nodding to concede the point, she resumed thinking carefully. She had a feeling that Higyou had been trying to finish what his assassins couldn't. It made the most logical sense. But something must've happened to have caused him to go crazy like that.

If he had merely been trying to kill Naruto, that wouldn't have been enough. Perhaps he'd tried to do something else before killing him? If so, what could he have wanted to do that would benefit him more than just finishing his goal? The answers to a deranged man's motives were confusing and elusive. So she just sighed and shook her head to clear them.

"Was there anything else that needs to come to my attention?" she asked, resting her elbows on her desk.

"Negative, Hokage-sama."

"Dismissed," she said as she began shuffling through various papers.

As the ANBU disappeared in a small cloud of smoke, Tsunade sighed. Digging through her desk, she pulled out a notepad and opened it to her recent impromptu research. Unlike her perverted former teammate, this research was purely for academic understanding. And the subject was her favorite enigma genin, Uzumaki Naruto.

Based on the report that Shikamaru had given her, as well as comments gathered from the various team members, and her own numerous analyses of the boy, she felt she had a pretty good understanding. Tsunade knew where his demonic-humane chakra came from and why it was so powerful.

Neji claimed to have seen Naruto open the first two of the Celestial Gates. That was an important detail and it helped her greatly in uncovering her information. In conjunction with what she and Jiraiya could gather from Yondaime's seal on Naruto, it made perfect sense.

The purpose of the seal was to not only imprison the Kyuubi no Kitsune into Naruto for all time, but to slowly transfer the Kyuubi's youki to the boy. Since the seal was powered by Naruto's chakra, this gradual transfer from youki to chakra helped to strengthen not only Naruto's chakra supply, but strengthen the seal as well. But the change from youki to chakra was a slow process apparently, taking up to a month at most.

During that time, the youki that was transferred to the boy would be stored within his body's cells. This provided his body the opportunity to adjust to the youki for whenever he was forced to utilize the kitsune's power directly like in the invasion. Once the youki had been transformed into chakra, it would be added to the boy's chakra reserves.

With the Celestial Gates, it was a process of the user opening one of their hidden stores of chakra and strength. It was common knowledge that the gates bestowed enormous chakra potential, but at the cost of increasingly severe exhaustion. But what few knew was that when a gate was opened, it pulled the chakra right from the body's very cells. That was why, if the person was strong in chakra potential and reserves, he or she could unleash colossal amounts of power at a time. And if too much was pulled out from the cells (usually from the eighth and final gate), the person died.

When Naruto opened his gates, his body hadn't pulled out chakra. It had summoned the gradually changing youki that had been placed there from the seal transfer. That was why whenever Naruto somehow opened his gates, his chakra had a feeling of youki about it, and thus the kitsune silhouette. As well as why it was so much stronger than normal chakra, being a hybrid of chakra and youki.

As she stared down at these notes, Tsunade saw an ever-growing connection between Naruto's 'mysterious' ability and another. She could no longer deny the connections. Based on a comment made by Sarutobi-sensei not too long after that fateful night many years ago, the boy's numerous similarities, and this new information, it was very obvious. But because of the tragic events leading up to it, this left only one conclusion: Naruto was the last of the Tenrai Kekkei Genkai. And, for the life of her, she couldn't tell him yet. He was simply too young. If he knew he possessed the divine bloodline, he'd become so arrogant it would make Sasuke look humble. Of that she was very sure.

Sighing heavily, Tsunade rubbed the small headache she'd somehow acquired. Putting the notepad away, she looked about her desk in hopes of finding something to distract her…and she found it. It was resting gently on the farthest corner of her desk, as though someone had put it there to keep it from getting mixed up with the other papers.

Taking the small packet of papers, she skimmed the title for a moment before pausing. A reluctant smile spread across her face as she stared at the title. _Combat Life Saver Sessions for the Standard Shinobi by Tsunade_. It was the memorandum that she'd written more than fifteen years ago. Back when she was trying to start a new school of shinobi in Konoha, devoted solely to medic-nins.

Written down in the bottom corner was a scrawled handwriting that she knew she'd come to recognize shortly.

You're the Hokage now, Nara Shikamaru.

* * *

**Later that morning…**

He'd put off visiting for as long as he could. Always trying to make up some excuse to himself that could keep him away from them, but now he knew he had to talk to them. Both of them.

It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to them. Far from it actually. No, he just didn't know what he'd say to them, after seeing how fiercely and seriously they'd battled one another. They had fought upon a level that he would've been hard pressed to keep up with should he have had to interfere.

The fact that the two boys were many times stronger than he had thought they were, even if not naturally, made him hesitant. How could he very well show his face when he had not been able to stop them from doing the inevitable? Yet, with how things were between him and his two students, he had to speak with them.

That was why he found himself in this awkward situation. He stood in the room, looking down at his bedridden students. Neither of them were looking at him, only glaring at each other. But he wasn't fooled, their attention was solely on him as their curiosity to his presence nagged at them. Especially because he didn't have his nose buried in one of his books.

"So…" he said, feigning lightheartedness. "You two finally got to fight one another…how was it?"

"I won," they answered simultaneously, quickly throwing ugly glares at the other. "No, _I did!_"

"Actually," Kakashi interjected, before a repeat of the previous day started. "neither of you won…I'd say you were dead even from the beginning."

Snorting, the boys looked away from the other, too proud to acknowledge that he was probably correct.

"Why can't you accept that you're each as strong and skilled as the other?" he asked, exasperated. "It would make everyone's lives much easier."

"_He is **not **stronger than me, **kokuzoku!**_" Naruto growled as he glared. His voice returning to its bestial one as his visible eye turned red instantly put both Sharingan users on high alert.

"I seem to recall beating you around like back in the academy in the beginning," Sasuke said cautiously, yet with a smirk growing painfully across his face. If he tried to smile too much, his wound over his right eye would start hurting really badly, despite the bandages and healing cream. It only prompted him to remain as emotionless as he knew he should've been.

"Heh, but I still crushed you with the Ijoufu Suiryuudan!" Naruto snapped back with a satisfied grin, his eye flashing back to blue.

"Only because you cornered me," Sasuke growled.

"Oh yeah?!" Naruto said, sounding indignant. "You didn't have to go on a wild chase, fighting through _hordes of Oto-nin, just to catch up to your ungrateful ass, bastard!_"

Sasuke chuckled quietly as he watched his teammate. If his guess was right, Naruto was probably shifting through personalities. That would explain the changing eye colors and his shifting voice tones. "Neither did you, loser."

"That's enough," Kakashi said forcefully before Naruto could shoot back a retort. Turning to the blonde, Kakashi said, "Naruto, I want to talk to you about something."

"Really?" the blonde growled, glaring as best he could with one red eye. "…_Well, I **don't **want to talk to **you!**_"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about teaching Sasuke your Oboro no Jutsu," Kakashi said sincerely, ignoring Naruto's strange actions. "There was also a reason why I didn't try to teach you more than I have already."

"I'm _**not **in the mood _for your bullshit, _kokuzoku!_" Naruto snapped, his lips curling into a snarl.

"I didn't train you," Kakashi continued as though Naruto hadn't even spoken. "…because I thought you were doing just fine as you were…you didn't need me to hold your hand."

Sasuke and Naruto both sent glares at the man, but for different reasons. Sasuke caught the small implication in Kakashi's statement that he hadn't been strong enough at the time. The idea pricked his humbled pride considerably. Naruto just glared because he didn't like the man anymore.

"And why should I accept, _much less **believe **that **load of shit?**_" Naruto growled, his red eye narrowing.

"Language, Naruto," Kakashi responded, a reluctant smile on his face. Truly, it was for small things like that that he almost hoped Naruto would never change.

"What is so bad about teaching others your jutsus?" Sasuke asked, earning himself a fierce glare.

"Because they _are MY jutsus!!_"

"So you're just being selfish, is that it?" Sasuke asked, no emotion slipping through his mask.

"If you lived my life, you would be too," Naruto said, in a quiet voice.

"Heh," Sasuke grunted. "Just because you hide them won't stop people from learning them." Seeing the questioning glare Naruto was giving him, he elaborated, "That 'Enmaku' jutsu was pathetically easy for me to make on my own."

It slightly annoyed Sasuke, but he didn't let it show on his face. Of the few jutsus he'd either learned on his own or was taught that were originally Naruto's, he couldn't truly use them. Oboro, while undoubtedly effective, was too much of a liability to be helpful to him. The Kaze Doriru cost too much chakra for him to be able to use, in fact it wasted more chakra than Sasuke was truly willing to allow for a battle situation.

Even Enmaku had much the same restrictions, just in different ways. The one time he'd used it in that fight with Sakon, he'd barely been able to see the Oto-nin. After all, the smokescreen was comprised of a floating mass of his own chakra, almost hiding his enemy as effectively as it did him. At the time, Sasuke had played the psychological battle, trying to get under the boy's nerves.

Naruto flinched for a moment before shooting an accusing glare at Kakashi. The Jounin merely held up his hands in a defensive motion, completely and honestly innocent of the silent accusation. The defensive motion only caused Naruto's glare to grow more accusing. Seeing the look that Naruto was sending Kakashi, Sasuke couldn't help raising his one visible eyebrow. Kakashi knew that jutsu of Naruto's as well?

After a moment of silence, Naruto growled out, "What _else have you stolen _from me, kokuzoku? The _Sarutobi no Jutsu? Kaze Kiwa? **Rasengan?!**_"

Kakashi just stared at Naruto for a moment, his eye clearly reflecting his sadness. "I only copy the jutsus of enemies, Naruto," he said slowly. "A student of mine is far from being an enemy of mine. I also told you once that I only copied Oboro and Enmaku by _accident_."

The room was quiet for a moment, Naruto's gaze never wavering. Sighing to himself, Kakashi came to a reluctant decision. Holding up one of his hands, he dug into his chakra supply in preparation.

"I won't lie to you, Naruto," he said quietly. "There is one jutsu that I know that you created. However…" he began forming the chakra into a sphere in his palm. When the Rasengan was fully formed in his palm, he continued, "I've known this jutsu years before you were even _born_…I learned after watching how _my_ sensei created it."

Naruto and Sasuke were both gapping at the familiar sphere of spinning chakra in their teacher's palm. In Naruto's mind, rationality battled with impulsive anger. Kakashi also knew the one jutsu that not only took the longest for Naruto to make, but was the one he was most proud of. How dare he!

Yet the ease of which he'd made the jutsu in his hand showed something else. It would take years of experience and practice to make it with as little concentration and effort that Kakashi had used. That would suggest that the man was honest when he said how long he'd known it.

But how could Kakashi learn it before him? Yes, he said that he'd learned it from his sensei. As far as Naruto knew, only he, Jiraiya, and the Yondaime knew the Rasengan. Naruto had vehemently sworn off teaching the Rasengan to anyone but his children and possibly his wife. Jiraiya had made it clear that he valued the jutsu far too highly to teach it to just anyone, even Kakashi. The Yondaime was long dead, so unless…he…

"You were the Yondaime Hokage's student?" the question was quiet, almost too quiet to be properly heard.

Letting the Rasengan dissolve, Kakashi nodded. "Yes…I learned it to help him create a jutsu that would be many times stronger."

"Stronger?" the boys asked. How could the Rasengan possibly get any stronger?

"Yes," Kakashi said, a smile spreading across his masked face. He could already see the interest of the subject making both boys' minds begin spinning. "The Yondaime had originally intended to create a jutsu that was composed of both types of chakra, shape and nature."

"But that's impossible!" Sasuke said, reluctantly awed by what the former Hokage had tried to do. He knew firsthand how difficult it was to manipulate nature chakra, especially an explosive power like fire.

"Yes, it most certainly was for him and I," Kakashi said good-humouredly. "Neither of us had been able to accomplish it. The Rasengan was the best we could come up with."

"But if you had both shape and nature chakra in one jutsu…" Naruto said, his blue eye hazing over he reviewed the possibilities. "that jutsu would…be the…_ultimate jutsu!_"

His eye was widening and a large, giddy smile spread across Naruto's face. He now had a new goal. He'd make the next stage of the Rasengan that neither his idol or traitor of a sensei could finish!

"That's what we were aiming for," Kakashi said good-naturedly, glancing between the boys.

Naruto was off in his own world, muttering incoherently to himself about chakra. Sasuke was watching Naruto with a frown, before looking away with a gaze of steely determination. A gut feeling rose inside Kakashi, he realized that the two rivals had just acquired a new goal to try to outdo the other in.

The door to the room suddenly opened to reveal Sakura and Hinata. The two girls stared as three pairs of single eyes turned toward their entrance. Staring for a moment, a slow smile rose to Sakura's face before a giggle escaped her lips. The giggle quickly turned into quiet laughter as she stared at the males in the room.

"What?" Sasuke demanded, hoping she'd stop laughing. It was a little embarrassing.

"You two," she said, pointing with one hand while trying to hide her smile with the other. "you look like Kakashi-sensei!"

"Eh?!" the boys quickly shot stupefied glances at their sensei before staring at each other. Then the truth of her words sunk in. Sasuke smirked slightly as Naruto's eye widened in horror.

"Oh kami, no!" he whined, sounding more like the Naruto they all preferred. "I've been scarred for life!"

"It's not that bad, Naruto-kun," Hinata said quietly, a blush lighting up her face as she walked over to him.

Lashing out, Naruto latched onto her with crocodile tears were pouring out his face as he purred out, "Hold me, Hinata-chan!"

With his face buried in the cloth of her jacket, Naruto never saw the fierce red blush that consumed her face. And as she almost lovingly patted his head and hair, she missed seeing the red glow on his cheeks.

The pair's actions drew several snickers from Kakashi as he was reminded of a…very _interesting_ moment in one of his books that started like this. Sasuke just snorted and looked away, intent on not watching the repulsive scene. His eyes unintentionally settled upon Sakura, which reminded him of a moment on Wave Country's new bridge. That caused the faintest of blushes to appear on his face. All Sakura saw were hearts, roses, and cupids as the pair hugged.

"Get a room you two," a familiar voice growled out in a playful manner.

Hinata probably would've leapt twenty meters away and through several hospital walls in her embarrassment if the blonde hadn't had such a tight grip on her. Instead, she only ended up accidentally pulling the blonde from his hospital bed and sending him crashing to the floor.

Loud laughter and barks of amusement erupted from the doorway as Naruto picked himself up. Kiba was leaning heavily on the doorframe and the portable IV that was still connected to him. Aside from the large bandage on his torso, he looked perfectly healthy. Even Akamaru resting on his head seemed to be more cheerful than usual.

"So," Kiba drawled as he straightened himself. "When's the wedding?"

Hinata squeaked with embarrassment at her teammate's rather suggestive comment. Naruto, however, smiled broadly as he stalked over to his friend. "Probably on the day of your funeral."

"Oh!" Kiba said, grinning broadly. "Well, I guess that will never happen!"

"You shouldn't jump to conclusions," Naruto drawled, smiling evilly before he threw the hardest punch he could manage at Kiba.

His fist never connected. Rather it was caught by a gloved hand as Kakashi appeared next to him. Kiba, who'd just started to recoil, grinned at Naruto's surprised gaze. "No more fighting in the hospital, boys…You can kill each other when you've fully recovered."

Snorting defiantly, Naruto snatched his hand free before paddling his way back to his bed and Hinata. Turning to face the newcomer, Kakashi said, "What brings you here, Inuzuka-san?"

"Oh, I just wanted to tell Naruto something," Kiba said, turning a peculiar gaze on the blonde. "You may have beaten me twice, Uzumaki…but I swear that one day you're going down!"

"Ha! Don't count it, dog-boy!" Naruto shot back, grinning widely. Kiba returned the grin.

The challenge had been accepted.

Before he left, Kiba shot over his shoulder, "I wouldn't mind fighting you too, Sasuke!"

Glancing over at the Inuzuka in slight surprise, Sasuke just smirked. "You'd lose. You know that."

"But I'll get better each time!" Kiba called back as he started limping away.

"I think you have new rival, Sasuke-teme," Naruto said, grinning broadly.

Snorting, Sasuke glared at Naruto. "He's not even worth the effort."

"Really?" Sakura said, grinning slyly at the bedridden Uchiha. "I seem to remember you saying something like that about Naruto once."

"He did, did he?" Naruto asked, giving his teammates a knowing grin. "Careful, Sasuke, you may make the same mistake twice."

Sasuke just glared at him, but before turning a literal blind eye to the remainder of the conversation.

"Oh, good," a new voice said. It was Tsunade. "You're all here."

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi said, as he turned to face her. "What do you need?"

Walking over to Sasuke, she said pleasantly, "I just came by to check on Sasuke and Naruto's eyes."

Reaching forward, she gently unwound the bandage with the expertise she was renowned for. Setting the bandage strands aside, she removed to soft padding carefully. What she revealed when she stepped back was a trio of slash marks over Sasuke's right eye. The scars were currently covered in thick scabs and it was clear that there would be permanent scars in their place.

Tentatively, Sasuke opened the eyelid. It revealed his dark eye, completely unharmed. Upon having his vision restored to normal, Sasuke let out a small sigh of relief. Thank all the kami in existence that he still had the use of both his eyes!

Nodding in approval, Tsunade flashed through a small series of handseals. With a soft glowing of green chakra over one of her hands, she rested her palm upon Sasuke's scar. Closing her eyes, she concentrated her chakra into the optical organ, searching for any damage.

Upon finding none, she withdrew her hand and said, "Okay, you should be fine. I couldn't find any further injuries. But I highly suggest you avoid fighting for a few days unless you want to reopen those cuts."

Ignoring Sasuke's small nod, she turned to Naruto. After gently repeating the unwrapping of bandages, she waited for a moment as he stared up at her. "Open your eye, Naruto."

"…I can't," he said. To prove his point, he tried. All he managed was a faint twitch of the eyelid but nothing more. "I can't…use it at all."

A small gasp from Hinata was the only sound in the room for a moment. Thinking it over in her head, Tsunade tried to understand why the Kyuubi hadn't healed it properly. This should've been similar to Naruto's battle against Kabuto, where the Kyuubi had helped her heal Naruto's more serious injuries in a fraction of the time. So why hadn't it repeated it with his eye? Was it too delicate of a heal to be done alone? That struck her as highly unlikely.

Moving her still glowing hand upon Naruto's closed eye, she searched long and deep into the organ. After a long moment of thorough searching, she found nothing wrong at all. The organ was healed completely, maybe even in better condition than it had been in. So why couldn't he open it?

"What do you mean you can't use it?" Sasuke demanded suddenly. "I saw you using it when we were fighting."

"_I don't know!_" Naruto snapped, turning a red half-glare on the scarred Uchiha. "I was mad and I was fighting! How could I--"

Then it hit her.

"Naruto," she interrupted. "I need you to mold a little of your…secondary chakra."

"_What?!_" Naruto nearly screeched, his blue eye widening in fear. This earned questioning gazes from all others in the room. "No! _No way! _I'm not going to--"

"Just a _small_ amount," she snapped, exasperated.

"But--"

"_NOW_, Naruto!"

Growling resignedly, he cast a furtive glance at the others, particularly Hinata, before bringing his hands together to form the hitsuji handseal to focus his chakra. Closing his eye, he reached into his body for the energy that was there. He didn't have to delve into the seal on his stomach to draw up the youki though. All he did was mold the remainder youki that was clogging his tenketsu.

As the small amount of demonic chakra began to circulate through his body, he stopped and looked questioningly up to Tsunade. With two red, slit-pupil eyes.

"…I was afraid of that," she said quietly. _That damn, conniving kitsune! It did this on purpose so Naruto would be more inclined to use its youki!_ Though this discovery did help to further prove her assumptions about the youki in Naruto's cells combined with the Celestial Gates.

Letting the small amount of youki slip away, his right eye returned to its normal blue. The moment it did, his red left eye closed reflexively.

Upon seeing Naruto's eyes turn red and then return to blue, Hinata moved forward to examine her friend. As he glanced over at her however, she lost her nerve and moved away with a blush.

"So," Kakashi said, almost scaring Naruto who'd forgotten about the man. "Naruto can only use his eye when he uses that…secondary chakra? That could be a problem in the future."

"_How so?_" Naruto snapped, glaring at the man with _two_ red eyes now.

Kakashi merely shrugged, not feeling the need to explain himself. Not that he needed to though. As shinobi, it went without saying that _anything_ could happen in the future.

And Naruto was suddenly somewhat hesitant about the future.

* * *

**(Author's Note)** Okay, I think that's enough for this chapter. So what happened? Kakashi and Naruto finally had an actual 'conversation' since the Exam, giving Naruto a new jutsu goal. Tsunade seems to have something planned, at the suggestion of Shikamaru. Hyuuga Higyou has finally been permanently disposed of. Sasuke and Naruto still seem to be at the other's throat with their rivalry. And Sakura has finally truly set a goal for herself, to become strong in her own way. 

Now what is this Tenrai Kekkei Genkai? It obviously has something to do with the Celestial Gates, doesn't it? But why be called the 'divine' bloodline? And Naruto's the last of the line? She must know Naruto's heritage! Yet she isn't telling him (and neither am I!). So many questions surrounding this new development eh? I can't wait to see what you guys think this bloodline thing is. I wonder how many of you will even come close to the truth. For the record, I'm not telling anyone anything about it until Part 2.

For the record, I don't recall ever even hinting that Higyou had been executed. A high-ranking Hyuuga council member executed? Hell no! It would've been very bad press when the story came out, and we all know it would've. Plus, can any of you actually believe that the other councilors would allow such a powerful member of their beliefs to be killed? I'd say the chances would be none to nonexistent.

Are there any last minute questions that need answering, besides the Tenrai Kekkei Genkai? This is your last chance before I end this portion of the story. Don't miss the next and _final _chapter of Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan!

Hitsuji--ram

Tenrai--thunder, heavenly, divine, inspired, heaven sent, sound of wind, beautiful poetry

Final chapter: _Things are winding down. Paths are being taken, destinies chosen, and new goals formed. The Rookie Nine will never be the same again when:_ Team Seven Splits.


	37. Team Seven Splits

This chapter is dedicated to my beta-reader, Ultra Sonic 007. I cannot express in words the magnitude of my appreciation for your help with the ending half of this story.

Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 37--Team Seven Splits

Konoha Hospital…

5:20 a.m.

It was very early in the morning. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon, sending its blinding rays upon the still mostly slumbering village. There were few still or just waking up to be able to witness such a beautiful sight of the dazzling colors that shone brightly in the sky.

Among those awake was a certain Uchiha Sasuke.

Today was the day he'd be released from the hospital and return to his life as a genin of Konohagakure. But so many things had changed now. Things that he'd had a hand in changing, even if it was indirectly.

As his eyes stared unseeingly into the light of morning, his hand rose to the curse seal on his neck on almost it's own accord. He rubbed the slightly raised portion of skin that signified where the seal was.

He had finally gotten one of the things he'd been yearning after for the past month. But while he hadn't emerged victor from the battle, he had more than proven his abilities to himself and the others. In his mind's eye, he could see various phases of the battle replaying. Sasuke's pride didn't rise as he remembered it. No, there wasn't anything to be proud of in the battle itself. It was the psychological battle with himself that he was proud of.

In that battle, he had finally taken complete control of the suggestive whispers and urges of the seal. Not only had he taken control, but he'd utterly crushed the alien presence of the seal. When that had happened, he'd finally learned how to morph into the second level of the seal.

Sasuke could hear a pleasant silence and felt blissful serenity in his mind. There was no presence intruding and demanding blood, death, and general mutilation. He felt no urge to unleash the curse seal, to feel the rush of absolute power and almost unmatchable strength.

He felt…content. Content with himself, with his rivalry with Naruto (temporarily), and even his staying in Konoha.

But his newfound ability was far from being the only change. And the biggest one that he'd noticed since returning was Sakura. She had come to visit him and Naruto for an hour or two each day. In that time, he'd seen her casting him almost accusing glances with an occasional glare. Being the genius that he was, Sasuke figured that her sudden attitude had something to do with what had happened the night she'd caught him leaving.

Yet even a twelve-year-old Uchiha prodigy was utterly clueless to the mind of a young teenage girl. _But I should probably apologize for that, though, _he admitted to himself.

Glancing absentmindedly over at the bed that held his teammate, Sasuke did a double take in surprise. Naruto was gone.

* * *

**Somewhere in the forests outside Konohagakure… **

Same time…

The blonde Jinchuuriki was sitting silently in his old secret training grounds at that very moment. Lying on the ground in front of him were five unrolled scrolls, each labeled as his jutsu scrolls. In his hands was the newest addition to his collection of secret scrolls. Slowly, carefully reexamining his memories, he wrote down all that he remembered of the Tajuu Suiryuudan and Ijoufu Suiryuudan.

If he was honest with himself, he was once again surprised at his ability to create jutsus like those on a whim when he was in the midst of a battle. It was uncanny and almost disturbing how he could do that.

In fact, how could he do it? Was it a trait he'd developed during his long secret training and experimentation or was it something else? For most of his life, Naruto had only focused on what he knew and what his limits were compared to everyone else's and pushing himself pass them. That was where his pride and ego came from, knowing that he was stronger than he let everyone believe he was, yet also knowing what his limits were.

Sitting up and putting his brush aside, Naruto closed his eye as he drew into his thinking pose. Now that he was somewhat battle-hardened and was feeling a bit more content with himself, Naruto began to ponder a question that he rarely asked himself. Who was he really? Did he have any long-lost relatives? Who were his parents and was he anything like them? Would they be proud of him or ashamed of what he had and still was becoming?

Of course, he'd questioned the Sandaime Hokage countless times before joining the Academy (almost daily actually) about who his parents were and if they were coming back for him and if the spiral he wore was their crest. The old man had at first told him that they were somewhere very far away and wouldn't be able to return for a long time. But as he grew older and wiser in the ways of life and death, Naruto had come to understand that the Sandaime meant that they were long-dead or missing.

And the genealogy records kept in the Konoha Library showed a very saddening truth to him: he was the only Uzumaki in all of Konohagakure's known history.

Then when Naruto formed his lifelong goal of creating jutsus, and later his love of pranks, his search for his parents or family went to the dark recesses of his mind and left forgotten. After long years of study, fighting and training relentlessly, creating and mastering around a dozen jutsu he could proudly scream out were his own, the long-time desire to know his parents' names was slowly coming back to him.

But his mysterious origins weren't the only things going through his mind. There were two other issues that were troubling his mind. One of which was his mind recently. At first he hadn't noticed it, since he'd been overcome by a spiteful anger at the time. But once he calmed down sufficiently and began replaying the recent memories, particularly of his and Kakashi's conversation, he found something…strange.

During that conversation, he'd felt hot and festering anger towards the man, and to a lesser extent Sasuke. His ever-so-careful mask had somehow fallen off, and he'd shown one of his true sides for however short a time. He'd somehow 'felt' an alien yet familiar presence rise up inside him. It took hold of him for a time, not a total possession but enough to get its point and opinion across. When that happened, he'd also felt a small, almost unnoticeable, burst of his merged youki and chakra rush through him. It empowered and seemed to carry the presence through him and aided in the possessions when they occurred.

If there was one thing that Naruto was worried about, it was the fact that it _wasn't_ the Kyuubi's direct doing. Of that, he was positive. If it had been the bastard fox, Naruto could've just channeled his chakra to temporarily reinforce the seal around his stomach. Though it was a weak defense because it could drain him quite quickly, it would help to remind the kitsune who was in charge of the body.

But because it wasn't the fox, Naruto was at a loss as to how to control the presence. He was beginning to suspect that it was something to do with his mind, rather than the Kyuubi. How he was suppose to counter against something like that left him baffled. He was a shinobi and soon-to-be teenager, not a psychiatrist!

* * *

**One week later… **

Konoha Hospital…

1:43 p.m.

It had been little more than a week since she had removed the bandages from Sasuke and Naruto. Things had finally begun to settle down at the hospital. Or as much as could be expected with several shinobi task forces now in recovery and training.

Tsunade smiled proudly from where she stood. In the classroom in front of her were what she'd hoped would become the next generation of Konoha's medic-nins. It had been surprisingly easy for her to organize this class and all following training sessions. Being Hokage truly did have its perks.

She hired out every spare or retired medic-nin to come in and teach at least one class a day. The fields of study were wide, varying from evaluating a causality to binding a broken limb or bone with a splint all the way up to healing a punctured organ. She had even passed a law stating quite clearly that it was now mandatory for all Konoha shinobi teams have at least one trained medic available.

In this classroom was a group of kunoichi who were all fully commissioned shinobi. As her gaze drifted over the kunoichi as they listened to Shizune going over the basics of the basics, her eyes were drawn to a pair of kunoichi in particular.

One was the Hyuuga heir, Naruto's unofficial girlfriend, though he'd never admit it. She was sitting comfortably near the back of the room, marking down notes hurriedly as her instructor marked them down on the board.

Tsunade couldn't help but smile slightly. The girl reminded her very much of Shinbi-chan, both in appearance and personality. It didn't really strike her as surprising that Naruto would like the girl, much less have her as a friend. And if she was right about Naruto's heritage, it would be _ironic_ that he'd like Shinbi's daughter.

Shifting her attention, the Hokage zoomed in on her other target of interest. The head of pink hair stood out brightly among the browns, blacks, and blondes. It was Naruto's teammate, Haruno Sakura. Based on what she had read in the girl's file, Tsunade might have believed that Sakura had enrolled in this class to allow her dear Sasuke-kun and Naruto the chance to continue to train without being held back by her. But with the rapt attention and determination that she was exuding as she listened to Shizune, Tsunade began to doubt herself.

"Now," Shizune was saying. "Would someone tell me how far above the wound we'd set the tourniquet to stop the bleeding?"

"…Two to four inches, Shizune-san?" Sakura said, raising her hand somewhat hesitantly.

Nodding, Shizune smiled before asking, "Why do we not place it above the wound _or_ any bandages that may already be in place, Sakura-san?"

"Because it could cause further injuries," she said, her voice growing stronger as her confidence rose. "And we don't tie it _onto _joints either because they'd eventually loosen. You have to tie them just below or as close to the joint as possible."

Tsunade smiled to herself as she was struck by a wave of déjà vu. She had been very similar to Sakura when she was at that age, even the attitude was similar. She had soaked up the knowledge faster than a sponge and had outstretched her associates quickly. Seeing it happening again with someone else was bringing back bittersweet memories of her youth.

She would have to keep her eye on Sakura for a while… _But then again, this is still the **basics** of the basics. For all I know, she will never make it past healing a simple slash wound. _As she turned to leave, she could hear Shizune beginning to discuss the methods tying a double knot to secure the tourniquet.

Walking down the hall, she turned and entered the main hospital. The classrooms for the combat life savers were being held in the empty, lesser used rooms of the hospital. Now it was time for her daily examination of her other patients.

* * *

**Otogakure… **

Same time…

The silence in the snake's den was even more eerie than normal. That was largely thanks to an overwhelming bloodlust that hung in air, almost as thick as fog. It shivers of fear down everyone's spines, no matter how valued they may have been to their deadly master, mentor, or savior.

The reason for the bloodlust? The mission to acquire Uchiha Sasuke had been a failure. After waiting for several hours since Kimimaro had run off to fulfill his last mission for Orochimaru, the Hebi-Sannin had finally grown impatient. He sent his _entire_ shinobi force to track down his missing Sound Four and their precious cargo. All that the shinobi had discovered were their corpses and signs of heavy combat.

They had also tracked at least two teams of shinobi as they headed back towards Konoha. But by the time they had finally managed to uncover the exact location that the Uchiha must have been by then, it was far too late. The Uchiha had been returned to Konoha.

The rage that Orochimaru had displayed towards the unfortunate souls that had been 'selected' to report to him had been terrifying. Surprisingly, both shinobi had exited the room with their lives. Though one looked as though he'd need immediate medical treatment for the severe injury to his chest.

Ever since then, for the past week, the compound had been overflowing with Orochimaru-sama's anger. It wouldn't have been an exaggeration to say that the shinobi and personnel were wading through his wrath as though it were sludge.

Today, after a long week of recovery from his body transfer, Orochimaru was finally venting his frustrations. He stood out in the death arena of his research facility. The arena where he usually had his subjects battle one another as a means of experimenting the effects and abilities of certain drugs or curse seals.

With a mere flick of his new arms, hundreds of serpents burst forth. They ensnared and crushed the two dozen unfortunate men, women, and children that had been selected as his 'opponents.' Despite the fact that they were experiments, Orochimaru wasn't concerned for their survival. They all were marked to be disposed of sooner or later anyway.

Letting his arms fall to his sides, he watched as his snakes retracted back into him. His opponents all fell to the ground, little more than piles of mangled fresh and shattered bones. The various Juin Jutsus that had transformed a fair number of their bodies were fast to dissolve and return to their usual dormant state. Only this time, it would be permanently.

Turning to leave, he caught the faintest of movement out of the corner of his eye. _So one's still alive, eh? ...**Good.**_

Stalking over to the body, he gazed down at the figure impassively. It was a young boy, probably close to eleven years old. As he gazed down at the boy's broken body, he slowly remembered the boy. He was one of the 'failed' experiments where Orochimaru had tried to get an estimate on how young a human being could be to survive the implant of his Juin Jutsus.

For shinobi of low Chuunin to high Jounin, the survival rate was one in ten. But for civilians, with no training in chakra control, the survival rate averaged around one in hundred. This boy was that one, surviving the implant from when he was about six-years-old. But it seemed that because of the Juin Jutsu being placed on him at such a young age, he had absolutely no control of either his chakra or his seal. It made him a liability.

"I…ha…te…you," the boy managed to gasp out, his sharp green eyes displaying a level of hatred that no child his age should be able to conjure.

"…Your will to live is strong," Orochimaru said, his rage waning as he stared down at the boy. "…What did you hope to accomplish in your pathetic existence? …Tell me, boy."

"I…I…" the boy was wheezing, straining against multiple broken ribs to breathe. "…want…to kill…you!"

Now that he was actually looking, Orochimaru saw a glint of light with the child's eye. It was the same that he'd seen in Sasuke-kun's eyes when they met in the Chuunin Exam. This boy had seen too much darkness in his short life, most of it probably at this very facility. His green eyes reflected the darkness in his soul.

A darkness that was fueled by hatred, a desire for revenge, and a will of steel to achieve that revenge. It was this will that now drew Orochimaru's attention. If he could _harness_ that will, _direct_ it to where he wanted it…perhaps he could attain several of his objectives with greater ease. He'd seen what a will of steel could accomplish and he had seen two prominent examples of such. All his life he'd always scorned the willpower of a person, believing divine gifts and bloodline limits were superior to determination. Perhaps now he should invest in a little of that willpower that Jiraiya and Konoha so highly valued?

"What's your name, brat?" he asked.

The boy looked confused for a moment, before wincing again as his pain flared up. The boy couldn't honestly remember having a name other than brat, bastard, and freak.

"…I going to let you live," Orochimaru said impassively. "Only because you intrigue me…And perhaps, someday, you will gain what you desire…But until that day, you shall address me only as Orochimaru-sensei."

The hatred in the boy's eyes flared brightly for a moment. Then he slipped into unconsciousness as his wounds overrode his durability of pain. Almost uncaringly, Orochimaru reached and lifted the boy up into his arms.

He carried the boy easily to the hospital. With those injuries, he would be held up in the hospital healing for almost two weeks under the care of his personal team of medics. But that didn't matter to Orochimaru, time was merely an illusion to him now. He could wait.

When the boy was finally released, he would set in motion a new plan. A plan to crush the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki, regain _both_ of his desired bodies, and then finally begin the meaning of his immortal existence. And this small boy would be one of the keys to that plan.

"I shall call you…Kiryoku," Orochimaru said, staring down at the boy's face. His wild orange and black hair hanging limply in front of his face. "Dageki Kiryoku."

* * *

**In Konoha… **

Same time…

"What happened on the mission?" Shino asked. "Tell me."

It had been little more than two weeks since the retrieval mission. Things seemed to finally falling back into their normal routine. The pair were now walking quietly towards their usual team meeting spot. But, unlike every other day, it was just the two of them. Hinata had been given the day off as her new CLS class would due to start within an hour.

Kiba, who'd been watching Akamaru running about chasing a butterfly further ahead, glanced over at his teammate. Shino hadn't been included in the big mission, which he knew must have greatly annoyed him. But the fact that he'd heard rumors of an incredible fight between Naruto and Sasuke only made the annoyance grow deeper into his soul, as close to anger as he'd ever gotten in his life.

"It was amazing," Kiba said, grinning broadly. "…but I don't know if I should talk about…parts of it."

As he said that, his grin waned a bit. A brief memory sprung to his mind, of a Naruto covered in a terrifying red chakra flying through the air towards a mutated Sasuke, both holding jutsus he'd never seen before. The raw power that had been packed into those jutsus had been enough to make his head hurt at the time.

Now, more than ever, he wanted to get stronger. He wanted to reach that level of strength that they had briefly possessed and then surpass it. But he was no fool, despite what a lot of people may think. The stink of the chakra that was spilling out of his comrades were very unique, but similar in one condition: neither were normal or humanely possible. While he knew that Sasuke had been marked by a curse seal, he had also been able to figure out the secret of Naruto's power surprisingly easily.

The chakra's scent strongly reminded him of what he'd once seen that Suna Jinchuuriki using in the Forest of Death. That terrifying power, stinking of blood, and drenched in indefinable fury. Naruto was a demon vessel as well.

He hadn't told anyone yet. In fact, he wasn't even sure he wanted to. Kiba liked Naruto as a person and a rival. Should he go about spreading rumors about something that the Uzumaki couldn't control, Kiba would probably later regret it in more ways than one.

But still, I will train **much **harder from now on. Akamaru and I will gain that strength, one way or another, and we **will **beat Naruto one day. I just **know **it!

"No," Shino said, drawing him out of his thoughts and resolutions. "Tell me everything about it…That is what teammates do, right?"

Kiba glanced at his friend in mild surprise. Shino's tone was rather…insistent, more so than usual. Then he grinned as he returned his attention to Akamaru. "Are you just annoyed because you were left out?"

Shino made no reply. He merely remained silent for the rest of the walk to their meeting with Kurenai-sensei.

* * *

**Training Field 9... **

Same time…

Panting from sheer exhaustion, Gai-sensei finally collapsed on the ground. He could scarcely find the strength to continue breathing. Sweat covered his skin and had his near-skintight bodysuit sticking to his body more than usual. It would need a serious washing once he'd recovered enough stamina to stand again.

His favorite pupil, Lee, was still bouncing around like a spring though. He was throwing kicks as fast as he could while alternating on his legs. He was covered in just as much sweat as his beloved sensei but he showed no serious signs of exhaustion.

Gai had heard all about the magnificent battle Lee had seen Naruto and Sasuke engage in in almost excruciating detail. And as soon as the story had been completed, Lee had begged Gai to train with him at three times their usual workout. Gai had of course approved of Lee's zeal to improve, also inspired by the astounding tale. But now, he was slowly starting to regret his decision.

"Lee-kun…" Gai managed to gasp out. "…how about…a short break?"

"What's wrong, Gai-sensei?!" Lee asked, glancing over his shoulder in shock at the condition his mentor was in. "Youth never waits!!"

As Lee resumed his training with twice as much vigor, Gai couldn't suppress a grumble of annoyance at himself. _Soon I will hit the age where youth is impossible, won't I?_

Tenten just sat upon a tree stump, enjoying the show. It was very, very, _very_ rare to see Gai-sensei so worn out and not shouting about youth, flames, and determination. She couldn't resist the almost star-struck smile that was growing on her face as she watched her weird teammate continue to out-train his mentor.

* * *

**One week later… **

Training Field 7...

10:00 a.m.

He stood in front of the monument. He'd been standing there since dawn, staring at the names of his deceased teammates and sensei. As he stared at the slightly worn and weathered names, he couldn't restrain the small grimace.

"I've tried, Sensei," Kakashi said quietly to the large stone. "…I've tried to be a sensei like you…give all my students the things they needed to survive and grow, but…the circumstances have made it very challenging."

Nodding his head in shame, he thought back reluctantly to all he'd done with his team. How had things come to be like this?

Naruto and Sasuke, by far the most talented shinobi of their generation, were the fiercest rivals Kakashi had ever seen. After the invasion, their rivalry had somewhat intensified due to Sasuke finally realizing the fact that Naruto possessed something he could never have, a demon. His desire to become the stronger of the two had pushed the Uchiha to go with Orochimaru's underlings. Though Sasuke vehemently swore that he only went to acquire the drug they had that would allow him to control the curse seal, Kakashi was still very suspicious.

Naruto, as always, was shrouded in mists and shadows as he hid behind his metaphorical mask. Whatever his true feelings of Sasuke and Sakura were, he never seemed to reveal them. The only people that Kakashi had seen that grinning mask slip off for were the Hyuuga heir and himself. But where he showed true happiness for Hinata, Naruto showed his disgust and fury for Kakashi. And though Kakashi had tried to explain his reasons for teaching Sasuke his jutsu behind his back, the Hatake had a feeling the blonde would never ever forgive him completely.

Sakura, though brilliant, was very weak. She had depended on the boys to save her in all the fights they'd been involved in from the beginning as far as he knew. Only recently had she begun to step up out of the darkness of their shadows. Kakashi was finding that he was being constantly surprised by her actions as she took steps to improve herself. The first true step had been when she'd finally gotten over her animosity with Naruto. Then she made her own genjutsu to be acknowledged by the blonde. Now he had found out that she'd willingly enrolled in the new CLS classes that Tsunade had created only a few days ago.

Overall, he felt that his team was beginning to progress very well. But it was the little issues that kept forcing him to reevaluate his views of them. And despite all that they'd been through, Kakashi could see something about to happen. Something that he'd seen many times over in most Chuunin squads. As a rule of thumb most Chuunin teams were the same as they had been when they were genin. But eventually, the team would begin breaking apart as the members began being assigned different missions based on their talents and abilities.

Now his team was at this stage.

Naruto, he knew, had been assigned a three-year training mission with Jiraiya-sama outside Konoha. This was to keep him safe from the Akatsuki, and to prevent them from keeping tabs on his progress as they did whatever they were planning to do. And if he knew Naruto at least fractionally as well as he hoped he did, the boy would be dancing for joy at the opportunity. Not only would he be given time to train with one of the best shinobi ever, but he would have months of uninterrupted training for his latest goal.

Kakashi was no fool. He knew that once he explained the Rasengan's intended purpose, Naruto would not stop until he'd attained the next level. In that way, Naruto was very much like the man he so strongly resembled. But where the Yondaime and himself had been unable, Kakashi had no doubt that the sneaky blonde _would_ accomplish his goal.

Sasuke was another matter all to himself. Like Kakashi had thought, the boy had set himself to training the very same day he'd been released from the hospital several days ago. What he saw the boy doing was almost amusing when he spied on him. It seemed that Sasuke had been more than awed by the fact that Naruto had learned a jutsu that the Yondaime had made, though the boy would not admit it.

Now the Uchiha was determined to further master the first of his own ninjutsus, a certain 'Gouka Tenohira,' a very clever combination of the Chidori and a simple Faiatama. Yet he was positive the boy would attempt to further develop it by undoubtedly trying to combine shape and nature chakra, just to prove to his greatest rival that he too could create one.

Sakura was putting her all into mastering her new self-appointed goal. Kakashi had actually stumbled upon her walking through Konoha just the other day. She had her nose buried in a scroll on beginner's medic jutsu. The fact that she hadn't even noticed his presence, even when she brushed right past him, was a little amusing to him. Kind of like how Rin-san used to be years ago.

Sighing to himself, Kakashi looked back at the memorial stone. The Yondaime Hokage's name was engraved into the stone, a few names below Uchiha Obito. Both names were weathered and worn down the point of being nearly illegible. But Kakashi didn't need to be able to read the names to know they were there. He could remember, clear as crystal, the days each had been carved into the cold stone.

Sighing again, he quietly said, "I wonder what you would say if you were here, Obito, sensei."

Truly, he would've given everything he had to be able to know that, and what they'd have done in his place.

"Kakashi-sensei?!" three shocked voices cried out.

Turning the silver-haired man spotted the three subjects of his contemplations. Each of them had an unbridled stare of shocked disbelief, Naruto and Sakura were even pointing at him as though he were some kind of rare or supernatural being that shouldn't have been but was.

"Yo," he said in his usual tone as he waved in greeting. "What's up, team?"

"Y-You can't be Kakashi-sensei!!" Sakura said, eyes wide.

"Eh? What do you mean, Sakura-san?" he asked, rather confused now. "Last time I checked, I was."

The three students looked amongst themselves, as though trying to determine each of them saw the same thing. Now Kakashi was starting to get annoyed as they looked back at him.

"What?"

"YOU'RE NOT LATE!!!" Naruto and Sakura yelled loud enough to disturb the surrounding forests.

"Eh?" Kakashi looked absentmindedly up at the sun for moment, quickly calculating the time. Then he remembered, he'd asked them to come to the training grounds at ten for some 'special training.' Yet when he'd arrived at dawn and started staring at the monument like he always did, he'd somehow lost track of time!

"Oh, I guess I am," he said, smiling brightly at them from under his mask. "…but don't get used to it. This is a special occasion after all."

"Special?" Sasuke said, quickly recovering his usual indifferent posture. "Why? Nothing's anymore different than it was yesterday or last week."

Staring at his team, Kakashi saw that they all agreed on the point. That could only mean one thing, they hadn't been told yet. But why not? Surely with how close Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama were with Naruto, they'd have told him this bit of news wouldn't they?

He could understand why Tsunade-sama couldn't, being Hokage and all. Yet why couldn't Jiraiya? But now as he thought about it, he hadn't seen the man since shortly after Naruto had returned with Tsunade a few weeks ago. Kakashi quietly bemoaned his fate that it was now his job to enlighten them.

"I see you haven't been told yet," he said, more to himself than them. He had to reach up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He was _really_ not looking forward to this.

"Told what?" Naruto asked, his guards rising unconsciously.

"Tomorrow, Naruto is to be sent on a three-year training mission outside of Konoha with Jiraiya-sama," he said, mentally counting down to the impending explosion.

Three…two…one…

"_WHAT?!!_" three voices cried, in varying levels of disbelief. The loudest was of course Naruto, the most shocked was Sasuke, and the humblest was Sakura.

"Why Naruto? Why now?" Sakura asked, but her question was overridden by Sasuke and Naruto.

"NO! NO WAY!!" Naruto cried, his voice rising to unbelievable levels of volume as his face quickly turned an angry red. "I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH THAT PERVERT AGAIN!!!"

"Naruto gets to train with a Sannin?!" Sasuke barked, considerable jealousy and anger causing him to momentarily loose his cool again.

"It is by order of the Hokage," Kakashi said loudly so he could be heard.

"Why does Naruto get personal training with a _Sannin?!_" Sasuke demanded pointedly. "As if he even needs it!"

"Want to trade, Sasuke?" Naruto asked hopefully as he glanced at his indignant teammate. "It's not like the pervert is going to teach me anything other than how to peep anyway!"

"Training is only the 'official' reason that you're leaving, Naruto," Kakashi spoke up before Sasuke could reply. When he had all three genins' attentions again, he continued, "The real reason is…complicated and classified."

Catching on surprisingly fast, Sakura bluntly asked, "Does it have anything to do with the Kyuubi?"

Naruto visibly flinched at hearing Sakura say that before staring openly at her, who ignored him as best she could. Sasuke merely glanced at her before looking back expectantly at Kakashi. Sighing to himself, Kakashi dropped all pretense of subtlety.

"Hai," he said answered. "…Sasuke, Sakura, this information I'm about to tell you is an A-Class secret, understand?" He stared fiercely at them, drilling into them the importance of the secrecy. "…There is an organization comprised of S-Class nuke-nin somewhere out there who are hunting the Bijuu and Jinchuuriki. We don't know how many there are or what their goals are, but we do know that they've already sent people after Naruto already."

"…Are you talking about that two guys in black robes with red clouds?" Naruto asked, calming himself considerably.

"Yes," Kakashi said. "Godaime-sama believes that they may have some means of checking your strength and growth, Naruto. She wants to send you to train somewhere away from Konoha to keep out of their sensory range. Then, in a few years when we're all stronger, we'll go after them."

Nodding, Naruto stared at the ground as he processed this information. "I understand I guess, Hatake. But still…_why does it have to be **Ero-Sannin?!!**_" the boy whined quite childishly.

"Because he's got the skills to necessary to keep you safe," he answered without missing a beat.

As his team realized just what was happening, Sakura suddenly looked up questioningly. "Ano, what does this 'special training session' have to do with all of this, Kakashi-sensei?"

Smiling broadly, Kakashi reached unobtrusively towards his weapons' pouch. "That is a wonderful question, Sakura. Now, as I understand it, you've applied for a full-time position at that new medic school Tsunade-sama put together, correct?"

"Hai," she said, blushing as Naruto and Sasuke looked at her in surprise. "I-I wanted to find my own path to becoming strong."

"Keep going as you are," Kakashi said as his smile grew larger. "and I'll bet you'll become Tsunade-sama's newest apprentice within the next month." That statement seriously drew on a deep blush as both boys turned truly surprised but reluctantly (in Sasuke's case) proud gazes upon her.

"And with Naruto leaving tomorrow," Kakashi continued. "that only leaves Sasuke and myself left on Team Seven. I've already gotten it approved by the Hokage to take Sasuke as my own apprentice for the next few years… After this last training session, Team Seven will be officially disbanded."

That statement met an eerie silence that not even the winds and forests could disturb. Each of his students showed their feelings in different ways, ways that were as unique as they were. Sasuke looked faintly surprised, despite trying to hide his feelings. As the boy looked to side, Kakashi caught an air of disappointment and sadness resonating from him. Sakura had a wide-eyed stare as the news truly took on a new meaning for her, a lone tear slowly working its way down her cheek. Even Naruto's signature grin had vanished, his gaze turned hollow as he stared unseeingly down at the ground in front of him, his emotions completely hidden.

After a moment, Naruto looked back up with a wide foxy grin on his face. "Then that's all the more reason to make today's lesson really count, isn't it?"

Sakura and Sasuke looked over at him before small smiles crept up their faces. _Yes, we will make it count_, was the thought that ran through all their minds at that moment.

Finally withdrawing his hand from his weapons' pouch, Kakashi held out his closed fist to them. "I figured that for today's lesson we'd do an old favorite of mine…the very first one we did together."

A pair of bells dropped into view, hanging limply on strings that he held securely in his fingers. The sight of the bells brought a wide grins from the genin. How could they forget the terrible bell test?

"One condition though," Kakashi said warningly as he gazed at Sasuke and Naruto. "No curse seal, no youki, got it?"

Nodding, the boys' grins waned ever-so-slightly at having those restrictions. Not that they had really planned on using them, but the thought of increasing their speed and strength to overwhelm their sensei in the same test that he'd overwhelmed them in was a _very_ tempting one.

"Alright," Kakashi said as he tied the bells to a loop on his pants. "You three will have two hours to try to take these bells from me." As he was speaking, he reached back into his weapons' pouch and pulled out a timer which he set on the center training log. After setting the time, he turned and continued, "However, like last time, if you don't come at me with the intention to kill me, you most likely won't get the bells."

"Let's go then, Hatake!" Naruto yelled eagerly, snatching a kunai.

Just as he was about to rush the man, Kakashi disappeared and reappeared behind the blonde, grabbing his wrist and positioning the knife at the base of the boy's skull.

"My, my, Naruto," Kakashi said smiling when he noticed neither Sakura or Sasuke had been too surprised. "You certainly have gotten impatient since last time."

"I'm just anxious to kick your ass, kokuzoku!" Naruto snapped, but his eager grin betrayed his excitement.

Releasing the boy after playfully ruffling his unruly hair, Kakashi took a few steps back. "Well then, if we're all ready…_Start!_"

In the next half second after he'd said that last word, the three genin disappeared into the tree cover. Kakashi mentally counted down the time it would take them to disguise themselves. Once again, he wasn't far off in his estimate.

In the first test, he'd contented himself with silently guessing who would be the first to appear, how long it would take for that person to decide on a strategy to fight him, and even how long it would take each of them to properly hide themselves. However, this time was slightly different.

In the first test, they were highly inexperienced, possessing a few tricks up their sleeves perhaps, but they'd had no truly serious training. Now, after having to endure the trials of not only the Chuunin Exam but the deadly fight and training in Wave Country, each of them was more than experienced enough to know the importance of chakra. They suppressed their chakra auras almost immediately, so low that he almost lost track of them. But because they were grouped together, albeit a hundred meters into the tree line, he could still sense them.

Absentmindedly pulling out Icha Icha Paradise, he began reading.

* * *

**10:05 a.m.**

"What do you think, Sasuke?" Naruto asked quietly, his eye never leaving Kakashi's form.

"He knows we'll be attacking as a team," the Uchiha answered in a voice just as quiet. "Probably anticipating on fighting you and me while Sakura sneaks in to get the bells."

"But we can't attack him separately!" Sakura whispered. "We may have gotten better, but Kakashi-sensei is still stronger than us."

"Yeah," the boys said.

Naruto drew himself into his thinking pose. _This time I swear we will pass this test on the first try!_

"Naruto?" Sasuke said, disrupting his train of thought. "remember in our fight? You were able to increase your speed?"

Thinking back quickly, the memory segment rose up quickly. "Yeah, what of it?"

"Can you do that again? Without the youki?"

Could he? Thinking back and trying to remember what he had done, he closed his eye in concentration. He could vaguely remember reaching into his body, towards some previously and still largely unknown reservoir of chakra. What was that feeling like again?

As he slowly tried to mimic his instinctive move, the sudden rush of power and energy hit him. With it came a feeling of deadly excitement and a yearning for a tough battle. Opening his red eyes, he grinned at Sasuke mischievously.

Sasuke and Sakura had been watching their teammate as he concentrated. Apparently, he'd found what he was looking for as he raised his head. The emergence of his red eyes was more than enough of a hint that he'd done it. And the lack of any noticeable youki was a large relief.

"Good," Sasuke said, not missing a beat. Turning to face Sakura, he said, "Sakura, do you think that you can get Kakashi in your genjutsu?"

Surprised, she looked back towards the man. Quickly judging the distance and the amount of chakra required, she turned back to Sasuke and shook her head. "Not from this distance. And he'll probably notice it as soon as its cast."

"That's what I'm counting on," Sasuke said. "Here's my plan. We get closer for you to cast it. Then, while he's distracted, Naruto and I will go out and attack him. Naruto, it's your job to get him into the air, where he can't dodge."

Naruto nodded seriously. So far this plan sounded like a good one.

"I'll help you in distracting him, making him think that I'm the one after the bells," the Uchiha continued. "Meanwhile, Sakura, you sneak out there _invisible_ and try to take the bells while he's busy. But you have to quick about it, understand?"

"_Seems pretty good for an Uchiha_," Naruto said a slightly conceited foxy grin in that bestial tone of his.

"N-Naruto?" Sakura said, caught by surprise by Naruto's sudden change. "Why are you talking like that?"

"_What's wrong with the way I talk?!" _he snapped heatedly.

As Sakura recoiled slightly in surprise at his tone, Sasuke smacked Naruto in the back of the head in annoyance. Ignoring the blonde's glare, he turned the girl, "When his eyes change colors, so does his personality, Sakura."

"_I do not!_" Naruto growled, glaring at Sasuke.

Sakura instantly picked up on Sasuke's meaning. "Um, well…okay."

"Come on," Sasuke said, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Sakura said as an idea came to her. "I've got an idea!"

* * *

**10:15 a.m.**

_So they're finally on the move_, Kakashi thought as he turned a page in his book.

Upon sensing the movement of the faint chakra signatures, he began paying a bit more attention to his surroundings. He could feel Sasuke and Naruto take up flanking positions on either side of the tree line. It was easy to tell that they were the boys because their chakra signatures, no matter how faint, didn't possess the 'softness' that girls do.

Curious, he glanced up from his book in the general location of the boys. They were waiting for something but he wasn't sure what. Based on what he knew of their abilities, they wouldn't be able to do anything subtle from the distance between them and himself. They were short range fighters, despite Sasuke's Katon jutsus.

It was only when he felt the sudden intrusion in his mind and disruption of his senses that he realized what they'd been waiting for. In his adjusted vision, he saw the trees' leaves change colors to a soft pink as the scent of cherry blossoms washed over him with a breeze.

With one hand, he replaced his book into his pouch. With the other hand, he formed a handseal and quickly molded his chakra. If he wasn't quick, he'd fall under the subtle power of Sakura's genjutsu!

Just as he sent a fierce pulse of chakra out of his body to disrupt the genjutsu on him, he spotted boys as they bore down on him at surprisingly fast speeds. Twenty Kage Bunshins of Naruto were racing in from all sides, apparently trying to hide the Uchiha as he worked his way behind Kakashi.

Rapidly dodging the fierce, if simple, lunges of the clones, Kakashi dealt them each a quick punch or kick as he maneuvered around them.

"_Gotcha!_" several voices snapped just a second before he was literally kicked in the ass up into the air by three pairs of feet. The remaining blondes jumped into the air with him, all with their fists back and ready. "_You're going down this time, kokuzoku!_"

_So that was their plan_, he guessed. _Trying to make me immobile_. Twirling in midair to dodge the fists of two Naruto, Kakashi pushed off their heads to propel himself slightly higher in the air. "You'll have to do much better than that, boys, to get these bells" he taunted. 

"How about this!" a voice snapped from behind and slightly higher than him.

Turning his head, he spotted another Naruto with Sasuke. The Naruto held the collar of Sasuke's shirt in preparation to throw as the boy finished a series of handseals. A Faiatama burst to life the Uchiha's hand. Kakashi's eye widened slightly as he recognized the following compression of the flame into a small sphere.

_He's actually going to use the Gouka Tenohira on me?_ He asked himself, slightly panicked now. While he could tell that the flame was nowhere near strong enough to kill him, it would most certainly cause some rather unpleasant burns. 

A sudden faint wind caught his attention for a moment, as well as a new scent. He realized what was happening instantly when he heard the bells give a small jingle before going quiet._ Oh no you don't!_

Arm lashing out to where he guessed she was, Kakashi was rewarded to feel his hand come into contact with a head of shortened hair. Yanking the invisible Sakura in between him and the plunging Uchiha, he sent a pulse of chakra through the girl's body to drop her personal genjutsu. With his free hand, he snatched back the bells that were in her grip.

Upon seeing Sakura being used as a shield by Kakashi, Sasuke was forced to release his hold on his Gouka Tenohira. The sudden lack of chakra that had been being used to feed the fires caused the jutsu to fade as the flames flared around his hand for a moment. Sakura brought her hands up reflexively to shield herself from Sasuke as he crashed into her. Using Sakura's mass to his advantage, Kakashi shoved her on top of Sasuke before pushing them back towards the earth in a heap.

Landing lightly nearby, Kakashi quickly sent out a numerous shuriken. The remaining six Kage Bunshins were destroyed as the real Naruto ducked under the weapon meant for him. Bringing his hands up to form the tora seal, Naruto inhaled and blew out a familiar dense cloud of smoke. "Enmaku no Jutsu!"

"Idiot," Kakashi called out as he let the smoke envelope him while he replaced the bells on his pants. "You know that won't work."

"_Oh yeah?!_" Naruto yelled out as four blondes erupted from the earth under him. They latched onto his legs and waist, restraining him as best they could. "_Then trying dodging this! Sasuke!_"

A large ball of fire came racing into the smokescreen shortly after Sasuke and Sakura recovered. Held in place, Kakashi was forced to throw up his arms to shield his face from the fire. Feeling the clones be destroyed by the Goukakyuu as it hit them, he leapt out of the fire and smokescreen as quickly as he could.

Standing up and facing his team, he absentmindedly patted out the small patches of fire that had caught on his sleeves and pants. It was a good thing that most Jounin uniforms were fireproof or that flame attack would've done a lot more than just heat him up.

A sudden flare in chakra drew his attention. Dashing through the remainder of the smokescreen was Naruto, proudly holding his Rasengan while under the protective layers of his Oboro, and Sasuke, with a loudly chirping Chidori being guided his mature Sharingan.

Crouching down slightly as he lifted his headband to reveal his own Sharingan, Kakashi waited as the two boys attacked him. This was going to require perfect timing, which was going to be tricky thanks to Naruto's Oboro.

Just as the boys were nearly upon him, his hands came up and he was able to grab their wrists. Despite being pushed back a few feet from the force of the boys' rush, he held his position and grip on their hands.

The looks on their red-eyed faces was priceless in Kakashi's opinion. Before they could recover their dignity or balance from their overextended thrusts, Kakashi gave them a sharp tug. They were pulled clean off the ground and sent flying behind him, jutsus still active. The explosion of dust and dirt when those jutsus met the earth was enough to throw up its own smokescreen for a moment.

Turning to face the boys, he grinned as he watched them pull themselves out of their respective craters. _To think that they'd **actually** attack me with their best jutsus, together. What an **interesting** surprise._

"Alright," Kakashi said as he replaced his headband back into its earlier position. "I'll admit it, your attacks really aren't that bad this time."

Apparently Naruto didn't think so. He snapped over to Sasuke, pointing like a little brat. "_This is all your fault, Uchiha-teme! You're so useless!_"

"My fault?!" Sasuke snapped, clearly not in the mood for another one of Naruto's episodes.

"_Yeah! Did I ask you to do something so stupid as to attack from the front like that!_"

"If it was so stupid, why did you do it?!" Sasuke shot back. "and who are you to tell me what to do?!"

"_Ever hear of the phrase: **diversion?!**_" Naruto yelled. "_and of course I'll tell you what to do! I'm the leader here!_"

Sighing to himself exasperated as the boys descended into another petty argument, Kakashi rubbed his forehead for moment. It was times like this that he wished he'd never had to take a team, as well as wishing that they would grow up._ You'd think that with all they'd been through that they'd be more mature. At least Sakura-san is finally starting to grow up._

Speaking of which, where was she? Glancing around, he couldn't find the pink-haired kunoichi anywhere. Reaching out with his chakra awareness, he finally found her. Looking back over at the arguing boys, he watched as she suddenly appeared in between them after pushing them apart. _Genjutsu again?_

"That's enough, guys," she said, causing Kakashi's eyebrows to raise. She'd never really broken up one of their arguments so…peacefully before. "The plan worked like a charm!"

_Plan?!_ A sudden feeling of foreboding fell on the Jounin and he quickly looked down at the bells. But they were gone! 

Hearing a pair of jiggling bells, Kakashi looked back up at his students. Naruto and Sasuke, no longer red-eyed, wore identical smirks of triumph as Sakura held the bells smiling innocently.

"Huh?" _Okay, now I'm confused._ "Hey, when'd you get those?"

"Just a moment ago, sensei," Sakura said, teasingly sticking out her tongue at him.

"That first Sakura that attacked you was one of Naruto's Kage Bunshins in a Henge with a genjutsu that Sakura put on it," Sasuke clarified.

"Sasuke and I used the Chidori and Rasengan to force you to concentrate on stopping us," Naruto continued, his smirk turning into a familiar foxy grin. "The argument was a diversion, to keep you focused on us while Sakura snuck up to you from behind."

Now that he understood what had happened, Kakashi dropped his face in slight shame. They knew that he'd take such jutsus as the Chidori or Rasengan very seriously and they used that against him. He'd been outsmarted by his very own students!

And he couldn't have been prouder!

"Come on, Shika!" a loud voice from the path called out.

Team Seven turned and watched as Yamanaka Ino came into view, angrily dragging an obviously reluctant Nara Shikamaru behind her. Choji followed them, red faced and panting from exhaustion.

Glancing over into the field, Ino spotted Sasuke very quickly. Releasing Shikamaru, Ino rushed over and practically lunged for Sasuke. "SASUKE-KUN!!"

Seeing the excitable blonde rushing for them, Kakashi walked lazily over towards the training logs to collect his timer. Naruto, spotting the lustful desire in the pale blonde's eyes, turned tail and fled up the nearest tree like a frightened cat. Memories of all previous times he'd seen that gaze and somehow got caught between it and her desire rushed through his mind, times that rivaled the worst of Sakura's early beatings of him.

Sakura quickly moved in front of her Sasuke-kun protectively. The Uchiha's fabled Sharingan flared to life in Sasuke's eyes as he watched the blonde approach at speeds he didn't think she was capable of.

Somehow dodging around Sakura, the long-haired blonde latched herself onto Sasuke before he could move. "Sasuke-kun!" she purred. "I've missed you so much! I was afraid that you'd left me for good two weeks ago."

As Sakura and Sasuke tried to jointly pulled Ino off him, Shikamaru rolled his eyes in extreme annoyance. Though he'd never admit, he hated it on so many levels when Ino glomped Sasuke like that. It was just wrong!

"Come on, Choji," Shikamaru said, unwilling to put up with another one of these scenes. "You want barbeque for lunch right?"

"Yeah!" Choji said, smiling happily at his best friend. "But let's come back and keep training afterwards!…Besides, by then Ino should be done."

Smirking slightly, Shikamaru nodded. Ever since his near-death experience and recovery, Choji had been noticeably pushing himself while training. He didn't want to have a repeat of his battle with the cursed Oto-nin ever again in the future.

Leaving Team Seven to its troubles with their love-sick teammate, Shikamaru and Choji continued on at a leisurely pace.

10:27 a.m.

* * *

**The next day… **

Hyuuga Clan Compound…

7:37 a.m.

Panting heavily, Neji's limbs trembled from near muscle-failure. He'd been pushing himself hard, very hard since dawn. His chakra levels were dropping slightly in his exhaustion, but he paid it no mind. His sweat was thick, coating his body and turning his training clothes into little more than sweat rags. The bandages around his right elbow and knee were covered in dirt and stains.

Standing as proudly as he could under these conditions, Neji watched his opponent, Hiashi-sama, carefully. Though the clan head had joined his training only an hour earlier, the man showed no sign of exhaustion. A light sheen of sweat perhaps, but not exhaustion.

Forcing his body to slide into the advanced Jyuuken stance that he'd been drilling for the past few weeks, Neji couldn't restrain the involuntary trembling of his body as his muscles complained. Gritting his teeth resolutely, he ignored the weakness and slow numbing creeping into his limbs as he faced his opponents.

In his perpetual vision, he spotted a familiar figure walk somewhat hesitantly up to the courtyard. It was Hinata-sama, dressed in her dark clan kimono. She was carrying a small plate with a pair of cups on it.

"Ano…" she said with a small smile, earning her father's and cousin's full attention. "I brought tea."

With a small smile of his own, Hiashi slid out his basic Jyuuken stance. "Neji, let's take a break."

"H-hai," Neji said, straightening as well.

Joining the Hyuuga heir on the deck, the two older males drank the delicious tea in silence. Hiashi watched out of the corner of his eye as his brother's son slowly regained his breath. He wasn't quite sure what had propelled the Hyuuga prodigy to suddenly begin training so frantically, but he wasn't going to question it.

He'd been watching Neji ever since he returned from the retrieval mission. Once his burn injuries and bruises had been healed by the medics, his nephew had thrown himself headlong into training. It was almost like the frenzied training he'd underwent for the Chuunin Final Exam. Yet there was a certain lack of bloodlust or rage to fuel Neji's fires.

If Hiashi knew Neji, he knew that Neji was training to surpass someone he'd been awed by. By Uzumaki again, perhaps? If so, it would most certainly make things a little more interesting in the future. He knew what was happening between the two. Naruto was forcing Neji to adapt and evolve in order to find new ways to counter him. And these new ways were already starting to take effect, starting with the ruin and death of a strong traditionalist in the clan council.

Hinata was also proving to be instrumental in changing his clan for the better. Though her role somewhat smaller, it was still a key role. She had been condemned as weak from a very young age, thus growing up believing such. Now, with the enigmatic Uzumaki as one of her best friends, she was taking her first true steps to becoming a proud Hyuuga in her own right.

Signs of her growing improvement were marked by the endless hours she'd train by herself in the fields and behind the compound. Recently, she'd been assigned to attend a class for medics set up by the Hokage. As a Hyuuga, she would have a somewhat unfair advantage over all her other classmates. And, Hiashi was strongly beginning to suspect, Hinata seemed to be making her very own jutsu.

"Hinata-sama," Neji's voice drew him from his thoughts. "I heard that Naruto's leaving today for training…shouldn't you go see him off?"

"Oh, she already tried," a voice called from the other side of the courtyard. The Hyuuga spotted a trio of familiar figures standing easily watching them. It was Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru. "She went to see him in the hospital with Sakura-san. But when she and her 'Naruto-kun' were having a little mushy moment, I kind of interrupted…Ha, it looked like she wanted to faint!"

"Ki-Kiba-kun!" Hinata cried out, her face turning a brilliant shade of red. This only drew smiles from all present, even Shino.

"…I wish I could've seen it," Neji said, smirking in a teasing manner at Hinata.

Hinata resolutely stared at the plate she held in her hands, trying to pretend that she was invisible.

"Anyway," Kiba said as they started walking forward. "We came to get you and Hinata-san. Naruto's leaving in a few minutes and I know he'll want to say goodbye to everyone!"

"Hiashi-sama?" Neji asked, glancing at his uncle and sensei.

"…Of course," the clan head said, nodding his approval.

* * *

**One hour later… **

Ichiraku Ramen Shop…

8:46 a.m.

They found him at the Ichiraku Ramen Shop like they'd guessed. He was 'stocking up' on his most treasured meal of Konoha, once again going for the record of bowls eaten in a single sitting. Iruka sat beside him, squeezing in as much conversation as he could with the blonde.

"So that's what happened to your eye," Iruka said, looking both sad and worried at the same time. "I'm sorry to hear that, Naruto."

"Oh, don't worry!" Naruto said, smiling happily to his father figure. "I'll just have to get used to it…and when I come back, you won't even be able to tell I was hurt!"

That statement put that a small smile on Iruka's face. Naruto would never change that much, would he?

"Naruto!" Jiraiya said as he stepped forward. "Say goodbye to your friends and let's go."

"Hai hai hai!" Naruto said, waving his hand dismissively as his other hand picked up the nearly empty bowl and drank the remnants of his most favorite food.

Then, to Iruka's eternal surprise, Naruto reached into the large bag that lay next to him. What he pulled out a large amount of ryo, which he placed down on the counter they were sitting at.

Smiling brightly at Iruka's astonished expression, he said, "Ramen's on me this time!"

Slowly returning the smile, the teacher nodded and watched as Naruto stood and left the ramen stand. But he didn't get very far before he was suddenly assaulted by various members of his graduating class of genin. Shaking his head sadly, Iruka returned his attention to his own bowl of ramen. He would have to get back to the Academy soon.

They accompanied him all the way to the gate. Kiba was trying to scare Naruto by giving him small hints of what he was going to be training on in the coming months. Neji, though silent, was giving him that gaze that he somehow interpreted as 'you better come back stronger, or else.' Shino was as silent as ever, watching over the group as they moved from the farthest point behind them.

Sakura wore a sad smile as she walked on his other side. She didn't say anything, but he could feel her sadness as though she were radiating her unshed tears. Sasuke walked quietly beside her, his gaze resolutely away from Naruto.

When they reached the threshold of the giant gates of Konoha, the group stopped while Naruto and Jiraiya continued to walk forward for a few paces. Stopping to face his group of friends and comrades, a strange ache made itself known to him. It was weird, not exactly centered on any part of his body but there. Most notably it was throbbing his chest and his stomach, what was it? But the stinging and quivering of his eye was one that he knew very well.

He didn't want to leave, and it was hurting him inside. Not only that, but the one person he wanted to say goodbye to the most wasn't present.

"Don't cry, dobe," Sasuke growled, his face as empty as it usually was. "or I'll give you a reason to."

"Shut it, Kizuato!" Naruto snapped, however a large foxy grin spreading across his face betrayed his appreciation and slight amusement. "or I'll give you another set to match that eye! And if I come back to find that you left again, I'm going to kick your ass so hard not even Obaasan will be able to fix it!"

As Sasuke glared at Naruto, the others had to forcefully restrain themselves from laughing at the Uchiha's expense. Though it went without saying that Sasuke was going to forever be branded by that nickname now.

"Whatever you say, Sekigan," Sasuke said as an evil smirk formed, causing Naruto to throw him an angry red-eyed glare.

Ignoring the pride spat that was about to start, Sakura moved forward. Tentatively she gave Naruto a hug, surprising the hell out of him. Drawing back after a moment, she smiled sweetly as she said, "You better come back stronger, Naruto. We wouldn't want Sasuke-kun to get _too_ arrogant now, would we?"

"Hell no!" Naruto cried, appalled by the very idea. Turning a sincere smile upon Sakura, he said, "You keep training too! I don't want to have to hold your hand anymore!"

Nimbly dodging Sakura's automatic punch, Naruto broke out in laughter as he turned and ran after Jiraiya who'd left at some point. Yelling over his shoulder, Naruto flashed them all a foxy grin. "Keep training, guys! When I come back, I promise to fight all of you!"

"Don't think for a second that you'll win though!" Kiba yelled back to the retreating figure.

After watching the orange-black figure disappear into tree line, the group gradually turned and left. They had vital training and missions to accomplish.

When all had vanished, only then did the small figure peel itself away from its hiding spot. Moving forward a little bit, she stared down the road to where her best friend had went. She had wanted to say goodbye to him, but after that horribly embarrassing situation that occurred in the hospital not too long ago, she just hadn't had the courage to face him again so soon.

"Hinata-chan," a familiar voice said behind, startling her.

Whirling around and sliding into a Jyuuken instinctively, she faced whoever had snuck up on her. It was Naruto-kun! But…didn't he just walk away with Jiraiya-sama?

"Whoa there!" the blonde said, backing away with his hands up in surrender. "Sorry about that."

Snapping out of her stance, she broke her hands up and began pressing her fingers together as a bright blush lit up her face. "G-Gomennasai, N-Naruto-kun."

"Don't worry about it, Hinata-chan," Naruto said, smiling happily. "You didn't think I'd leave without saying goodbye to you too, did you?"

Blushing brighter, she couldn't bring herself to look at him. It was just so embarrassing! Somewhere inside, she was ecstatic that he'd want to say goodbye to her…when they're alone. But right now, it was just so embarrassing. Especially after so many…awkward situations that had occurred between them recently.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Naruto moving closer to her until he'd enveloped her in a warm hug. Snapped out of her thoughts, she froze for a moment. Then, as his warm body began to thaw away her stiffness, she returned the hug.

"I'm going to really miss you, Hinata-chan," Naruto said quietly, burying his nose into her hair. As he got a strong whiff of her scent of lilacs, idly tracing his hand over the soft and smooth skin of her exposed neck, that ache that had been tugging at his being returned. Only far stronger and many times more unbearable.

Hinata couldn't suppress her shivers as Naruto caressed her body. It felt so comforting, so…_right_. Why did he have to leave her?! "I-I'll miss you too, N-Naruto-kun."

"Hinata-chan," he said as he slowly drew away from her. "There's something I want you to look after for me. Can you protect these until I come back?"

As he was speaking, he had reached into his bag and extracted a tin container. He held it out to her, which she tentatively took. Gazing down upon the container, she spotted a familiar seal formation upon the top of the container. The seal was that of a blood seal, only Naruto could open it, most likely.

"It contains my most of my personal jutsu scrolls," Naruto said, answering her unspoken question.

Snapping her head to stare at him in surprise, Naruto just smiled that sheepish smile that she loved so much. "I don't trust my landlord too much. And I don't want to damage those while I'm away. Can you hold on to them for me until then?"

Staring at him for a moment, Hinata quickly returned her gaze upon the artifact that had been entrusted to her. Without looking up, for fear of showing her uncertainty at accomplishing this task, she nodded slowly.

Raising his hand to her chin, Naruto lifted her face gently. He smiled at her as her cheeks lit up brightly. Leaning slowly in, he rested his forehead against hers. This caused her blush to grow even brighter, nearly encompassing her entire face. Hinata was only too aware of how close his lips were to hers. She so wanted to lean in that final inch and kiss him. But she was almost positive she'd faint afterwards from such a daring and intimate action.

"Arigato, Hinata-chan," he said quietly.

Then he closed the gap, kissing her gently on the cheek.

For Hinata, all time hung in complete stillness. For that one single moment, she was shielded from the conflicts that plagued her life. All that existed for her was Naruto who was gently kissing her cheek. It seemed to last for an eternity, despite being little more than a mere peck on the cheek.

As he slowly pulled himself away from the girl that meant more than anything to him, Naruto smiled at her warmly. Raising his hand, he teasingly flicked her nose as he said, "Remember not to faint, Hinata-chan, I won't be there to pick you up anymore."

As he raised his hands to perform a handseal, a single tear slid out of his eye. But it would never reach the ground as at that moment, he muttered, "Kai."

In a puff of smoke, the Kage Bunshin vanished. Leaving a badly blushing Hyuuga heir lovingly cradling the tin container she'd been entrusted with.

She swore silently she'd watch over it with her life. So she could return it to her Naruto-kun in three years.

* * *

**Akatsuki Hideout… **

Same time…

The cave was filled with a foreboding darkness. Thousands of stalactites and stalagmites covered the ceiling and cavern floor, giving the illusion that it was the gaping maw of a gigantic demon. There was a silence in the chamber that was as deafening as thunder, but more terrifying than a lion's roar.

All thanks to the single figure that sat at the center of the cave. It was too dark inside to make out any distinguishing features. But it was clearly male and respectably tall. Resting on the earth in front of it was a sheathed katana, which gave off an aura of terror equally as powerful as its owner.

With his eyes closed, the figure meditated. He could sense it. His prey was moving, leaving his range of sensory perception. He had to repress a sigh of annoyance.

That sneaky Kage had apparently caught onto his plan somehow. Now his target was on the move, no doubt to begin a training mission in an effort to be able to resist him. His lips twitched upward as a wave of amusement washed over him. The boy could train for a hundred million years and _still_ never gain the power needed to win.

That was why he was leader.

But he could wait. After all, his underlings were even now scouring the planet in search of ancient jutsus and sealing methods. It shouldn't take too long, as they were all dedicated to their supposed cause.

The plan he had crafted to ensnare their aid was as brilliant as it was false. Harness the power of the Bijuu, use that power to wage war on the planet, and eventually gain complete control of it. While it was possible that such a wild scheme could and probably would work, it was far being what his true goal was.

Reunification! Then revenge!!

* * *

(**Author's Note) **Well…that's it. End of Naruto: Legacy of the Rasengan. 

I must say, looking back on it, this story is the absolute best I have ever written! Thanks in no small part to Ultra Sonic 007, NoneAvailable, Moshulel, Dragon6, Jess D., and especially to all of you! Thanks for all the enthusiasm, even if some of these chapters had stuff in them that you didn't agree with.

With this chapter, Ultra Sonic bids you all farewell. Life is getting quite busy for him so he has been forced to resign his post as my beta. Farewell, my friend. I shall miss your help greatly.

On to other matters: I hope you all enjoyed reading about this 'Dageki Kiryoku.' He will be playing a role in _Legacy II_. Though how big remains to be seen. To honest though: he kind of just snuck his way in there, I never saw him coming! But I like his character, so he's most definitely staying.

IMPORTANT: I am officially being shipped overseas to Kuwait sometime in August of this year. Of course, because that date is growing so close, I'm getting extremely busy here. While I shall try to post the Legacy II, don't get your hopes up for the rapid updates of this past month. Also, I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't send emails, PMs, or reviews to me demanding updates or new stories/chapters after that time. I'll try to post a notice to let you all know when I'm leaving exactly.

I don't know how long it'll take me but I promise that I will _eventually_ get the next story out. Keep your eyes open for it. Legacy of the Rasengan II: Makaze Rekidaishi is the title.

Total New Jutsus: **(Note: Anyone can use my jutsus in their own story(s) as long as credit is given where it is due)**  
**Danmatsuma**--_Death Agony_//A genjutsu that is used to fool the mind into experiencing horrible pain. The flames and lightning that surround Kabuto's hands are nothing more than a fancy light show. It's only after he has gotten a hold the target that he can put the genjutsu into effect. By manipulating the flow of chakra and various nerve signals in the brain of his enemy, he can willingly determine what kind of pain they feel, usually burning and electrocution. How he is able to capture his target is to send a very brief but powerful killer intent, capable of instinctively freezing the body, even against the person's desires to evade him. Requires near-perfect chakra control to utilize. (A-Rank Genjutsu.) (Kabuto) (Created by Tellemicus, perfected by Ultra Sonic 007)

**Doton: Sarutobi Sandaime Hokage**--_Earth Release: Monkey King Third Great Fire Shadow_, also known as the Sarutobi no Jutsu//Dedicated to the memory of his beloved 'Ojisan,' the Sarutobi no Jutsu is meant as a surprise frontal attack. The fact that Sandaime Sarutobi was a powerful shinobi even prior to becoming Hokage is what gives this jutsu it's real power of intimidation and surprise. But it is quite easily avoidable once the surprise wears off. (High C-Rank Ninjutsu)

**Enmaku**--_Smokescreen_/ An incomplete katon jutsu that surrounds the immediate area around the user with a dense cloud of smoke. This jutsu is used mainly for escaping enemies or for guerrilla fighting tactics, which depends heavily on keen senses of smell and hearing. This jutsu, however, will dissipate gradually over time as the smoke clears or with even the gentlest breeze. (upper D-Class Ninjutsu)

**Fuuton: Kaze Doriru**/ _Wind Release: Wind Drill Technique_--Currently it is a combination of the Kaze Wana and Kaze Kiwa jutsus. Naruto made this on a whim of desperation to get Gaara away from Sakura in the forest, it was only to be used as a distraction anyway. But now that he has made it, he will continue to experiment and enhance its effects. It will essentially just become a Kaze Kiwa extended to cover the whole body while Naruto is taking a nosedive at an opponent from a great distance above. The speed of the dive with the cutting power of the Kaze Kiwa makes this a lethal jutsu…_if _it can hit the enemy. If the enemy sees it coming, it is very easy to avoid it. But if he's taken by surprise, there is a high possibility that he/she will die. (High C-Class Ninjutsu)

**Fuuton: Kaze Kiwa**--_Air Release: Wind Edge_/ A concentration of spinning chakra and wind around the person's arm. The speed of the spinning chakra winds added to the amount of chakra used gives it its blade-like capabilities. The Kaze Kiwa depends heavily on an excessive amount of chakra to keep active and 'sharp' else the jutsu is severely weakened. However,this jutsu has yet to be defeated. (C-Class Ninjutsu)

**Fuuton: Kaze Misairu Rendan--**_Wind Release:_ _Wind Missile Barrage//_An advanced version of the Kaze Doriru. After either being thrown or jumping into air, Naruto creates a series of clones. The clones activate the Kaze Doriru, while Naruto uses his Kaze Tate. With gravity and the Kaze Tate's powerful winds boosting their descent, the Kaze Misairu Rendan is a much more dangerous version of the standard Kaze Doriru due to the less likely chance of the opponent being able to dodge in time. (B-Rank Ninjutsu.) (Inspired by Ultra Sonic 007)

**Fuuton: Kaze Tate**--_Wind Release: Wind Shield_/ This jutsu creates a small tornado like wind around the user. In general this jutsu is only able to deflect the average kunai and shuriken and has several other minor uses. But the true power of this defensive jutsu lies in the amount of chakra used in it, the more chakra used means the stronger the shielding action will become. There is no real definite answer as to just how powerful this jutsu could become, but it could most definitely blow away an entire army if used correctly. (low C-Class Ninjutsu)

**Fuuton: Kaze Wana**--_Wind Release: Wind Trap_// The exact opposite of the Kaze Tate (Wind Shield). It sucks objects into its vortex, centered around the person who activated it. The spinning motion of the user increases the suction power surprisingly. The only weak point of the jutsu is from the top or bottom of user's spinning body, the eye of the storm. A quick-thinking shinobi could counterattack once inside this vortex. If used correctly, it can disorient an opponent and leave them open to a secondary attack if the jutsu is released before reaching the center. Also, if the user is skilled enough he/she can use the person's approaching body as a punching bag with little fear of retaliation. (upper C-Class Ninjutsu)

**Fuuton: Tatewaru--**_Wind Release: Shieldbreaker//_A much more powerful version of the Kaze Kiwa. The chakra requirement of this jutsu is so extreme that it is easily visible to the naked eye. But what the Tatewaru gains in strength over the Kaze Kiwa, it loses in finesse. The Tatawaru is better used as a battering ram than a blade or drill. However, because the strength of the Tatewaru is so great, Naruto easily loses his concentration whenever he hits something with it. The loss of concentration causes the winds to break loose and usually results in sending the victim or whatever was hit flying a great distance away. (upper B-Class Ninjutsu)

**Haruno Sakura no Jutsu--**_Field of Cherry Blossoms//_Sakura's first original genjutsu. A genjutsu that targets a person's sight, hearing, and smell. It surrounds the user in a field of cherry trees in full bloom, complete with a realistic smell. This genjutsu is very useful for calming a person down, bringing a sense of peace to a troubled heart and mind. While this jutsu is in effect, Sakura is completely invisible since she is able to control what the victim sees, hears, and smells. And because the victim will almost always drop their guard, it is very easy for her to sneak up on the victim and deliver a fatal blow. Of course once she attacks, the genjutsu becomes useless and she usually dissolves it. The genjutsu is extremely well-made, due to Sakura's perfect chakra control and thus nearly impossible for any but the most experienced Chuunin to escape from. (Low B-Class Genjutsu) (Sakura)

**Inu Bunshin no Jutsu--**_Dog Clone//_A modified version of Jujin Bunshin and Henge that transforms the user into the mirror image of their canine companion. This jutsu is exclusively used in the Inuzuka clan, and is considered a precursor to the Garouga no Jutsu. Due to Akamaru's small size, as well as increased chakra potential with thanks to a soldier pill, the Inu Bunshin usually make the user three times as fast and agile as they normally are. When facing multiple enemies who use this jutsu, there is a very low possibility for victory or escape. (High C-Class Ninjutsu.) (Kiba/Akamaru)

**Katon: Faiatama no jutsu--**_Fire Release: Fire Ball//_A simpler version of the Goukakyuu no Jutsu. Rather than blown out of the mouth, it's concentrated into the palms of the user's hands, which is the easiest place to mold chakra. It is much weaker than the Goukakyuu, but ideal for beginners to learn. As well as for spooking a retreating enemy by these hand-thrown projectiles. And like many Katon jutsus, the power of this jutsu is that the more chakra used in it can make it even more powerful. (High D-Class Ninjutsu.) (Named by Ultra Sonic 007) (Jiraiya/Sasuke)

**Katon: Gouka Tenohira**--_Fire Release: The Palm of Hellfire_//Sasuke's first original attack ninjutsu, a combination of the Katon: Faiatama and the Chidori. He concentrates the fires of a standard Faiatama into one palm before compressing the fire into a tiny bead of light and heat. The Gouka Tenohira has two possible attack uses. It can be used to blow any enemy away (regardless as if it's handheld or thrown) with a concentrated blast of fire caused by the explosive properties of fire. And it can also be used like the Chidori: if he's traveling fast enough, he can potentially burn and/or melt his way through anything that he desires. However, because he's holding a ball of fire, he suffers similar damage as his target. Though this makes the Gouka Tenohira as dangerous to Sasuke as his opponent, he is able to partially shield himself by putting up a layer of chakra over his hand. (B-Class Ninjutsu) (Sasuke)

**Katon: Karyuu Saikou Kyuuzou--**_Fire Release: Fire Dragon Supreme Explosion//_The second jutsu that Naruto learned from the Forbidden Scroll of Seals. Because of the jutsu's extremely high chakra and precise control requirements, this is commonly considered an S-Rank jutsu. The jutsu is very difficult to control, even for a Kage. Should the user gather chakra wrong, not be able to manipulate the fire, perform the fire conversion correctly, or even something as simple as just overpowering the jutsu, it will backfire and incinerate the user just as easily as it would the user's intended target. Because Naruto's alignment is with wind, he has a harder time than many shinobi in the conversion process. But it is entirely thanks to Kyuubi's youki being the very essense of fire that he is able to wield the jutsu at all. (S-Class Ninjutsu)

**Katon: Okibi Doriru--**_Fire Release: Blazing Fire Drill//_Merely a standard Kaze Doriru that has been in contact with a Katon jutsu. While the winds and flames don't harm the user, it is exceptionally hard to control if the user is fighting in the midst of allies. Since the moment the winds die down, the fire goes rampant, burning and potentially wounding all within range. (High C-Class Ninjutsu)

**Kibou Te--**_Trick Hand//_An accidental hybrid jutsu of Jyuuken and Rasengan, it possesses the major qualities of both its 'parent jutsus.' It is capable of attacking a person's inner coils by shoving so much of the user's chakra into them that the coils are temporarily paralyzed until the chakra fades. And because of the Rasengan's distinctive spinning motion that has been added to its forceful entry of the enemy's body, any muscle or organ that has the misfortune of being in its path will get torn. If enough chakra is applied, it could easily reduce a person's organs to mush. But it requires a precise amount of chakra and control to use, and will easily fail should the user's attention shift in even the slightest bit. (low B-Class Ninjutsu)

**Naiyabaito--**_Diamond Bite//_A supplementary jutsu for the Inu Bunshin. What it does is merely increase the biting power of the user's teeth and jaws. The stronger the user is, the greater the bite becomes. However, it is very easy to lose track of how draining this jutsu can be on the user when they're focused more on the battle situation. (Low C-Class Ninjutsu) (Kiba/Akamaru)

**Oboro**--_Hazy_//A cloud of chakra that surrounds the user and blurs his image to everyone who looks at him, even if they're directly in front of him. This jutsu can be used for multiple things; escape, espionage, fighting, and (Naruto's original purpose) pranking. It is reliant on the user's ability to expel large amounts of chakra from nearly all their tenketsu points for an indefinite period. This jutsu is more suitable to shinobi around the jounin level, who have developed large chakra reserves. This jutsu is yet to be defeated. (B-Class Ninjutsu)

**Raiden**--_Thunder and Lightning_//Like a bolt of lightning, a flash of light momentarily alights the area directly in front of the user. This has the potential of badly hurting the eyes of an enemy, even temporarily blinding them. And, like lightning, with the sudden removal of the light causes an almost instantaneous explosion of sound that is as deafening as thunder. If used in a crowd, there is an almost guaranteed chance of utter confusion and chaos. (High C-Class Ninjutsu)

**Sentakushi Nou Sakujo--**_Selective Memory Eraser//_Does as its name suggests. It can erase anywhere from a few selective up to a person's an entire mind. Most times, this jutsu is used on captured enemy shinobi to turn them to the captor's side or to erase a person's memory of a specific time or event. The problem with the jutsu is that if not used properly, in terms of application and distribution, it can just as easily backfire on the user; at worst, turning the user into a vegetable for life. (Upper A-Class Kinjutsu.) (Jiraiya/Hyuuga Higyou)

**Suiton: Ijoufu Suiryuudan**--_Water Release: Great God Water Dragon_//A Suiryuudan no Jutsu with nearly twenty times the amount of chakra needed. It takes extremely high chakra reserves and control to wield this jutsu without it falling apart. (S-Class Ninjutsu)

**Suiton: Tajuu Suiryuudan**--_Water Release: Multiple Water Dragons_//Merely a standard Suiryuudan, except many of them are launched from a number of Kage Bunshins. Capable of beating an opponent unconscious from the many impacts should the jutsu be successful. (High A-Class Ninjutsu)

**Suna no Tatsumaki--**_Tornado of Sand//_Just as its name implies, it is a tornado composed solely of sand and chakra (or youki) -enhanced winds. The chakra requirement for this jutsu is immense. But it is one of Gaara's most favorite attack/defense jutsus, even if he can rarely use it. The Suna no Tatsumaki could be considered the equivalent of the Kaze Tate, but the sand adds in a potential attack ability if used correctly. (Low A-Class Ninjutsu) (Gaara)

**Uzumaki Kyokudo Rendan**--_Uzumaki Extreme Barrage/_ This is an advanced version of the standard Naruto Rendan. While there are countless ways of beginning it, it can only be done properly if there is a large swarm of Kage Bunshins already in the air when it starts. The fact that many of the blows target the victim while he/she is still helpless from the previous attack makes it especially deadly. This jutsu was inspired by Rock Lee when he'd opened his Celestial Gates and was knocking Sabaku no Gaara about through the air. But it is considerably safer to the user than Lee's version, as long as the user has enough chakra to maintain the bunshins. (B-Class Taijutsu)

**Uzumaki Tonsou**--_Uzumaki Escape_//Not particularly any single 'jutsu,' it's mostly just a series of strategies he'd developed in the past. The Uzumaki Tonsou has no less than a 90 percent chance of success, seven percent of that failure record had been due to Umino Iruka-sensei's appearance or interference, or ramen. (Lower D-class to A-class, varying on strategies used.)

Translations for chapter  
Kokuzoku--traitor  
Kiryoku--willpower  
Dageki--strike  
Kizuato--scar  
Sekigan--one eye  
Makaze--evil wind  
Rekidaishi--chronicles, annals

Legacy of the Rasengan 2: Makaze Rekidaishi: _It is a time of intense training. But as the Rookie 9 carry on with their lives and missions, some of them run into a very familiar face_…


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